The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors. – Nehemiah 3:5

Today's Scripture Reading (November 12, 2023): Nehemiah 3

A much-used yet often maligned definition of a leader is that a leader has others willing to follow. I know, real leaders create more leaders, not just followers, but let's just set that aside for a moment. John Maxwell is attributed with saying, "If you think you're leading and no one is following you, then you're only taking a walk." The quote might be of Afghan origin, but the concept remains good. A leader possesses the ability to convince people to follow a common goal. And in our society, where we seem to be becoming more and more set in our ways and more likely to chase after conspiracy theories than any generation that preceded us (just my opinion), it is getting harder and harder to convince anyone that they are walking in the wrong direction. And yet, that is precisely what a good leader can do.

However, the success of a community is found in that it has many people pulling in the same direction, usually following someone who has convinced them of the benefit of following that course of action. But often, that is not our reality. During the days of Nehemiah, the nobles of Tekoa seemed to rebel against what Nehemiah had convinced the exiles was beneficial. The prophet Amos had been from Tekoa, but these nobles hadn't inherited the prophet's character. The nobles of the Tekoaites thought that working with the people of God was beneath them. And so, they refused to take action of any kind to help rebuild the city walls.

Maybe they thought they had a better plan or didn't approve of Nehemiah's leadership. But either way, they refused to work. These nobles represented a small rebellion against the leadership of Nehemiah. If the revolt had grown and more people wanted to not contribute to the community, the community would eventually break down and die. But this is the only glitch in the plan that Nehemiah mentions. Apparently, this rebellion remained with just a small group of nobles from the town of Tekoa.

Sometimes, I wonder if Nehemiah wanted to mention each of the nobles by name to ensure their disobedience was remembered through the generations. But God, in his mercy, convinced Nehemiah just to say the nobles of Tekoa. And that is the one thing that we don't want to be. 

Let me leave you with five questions that need to be considered by anyone who wants to be part of God's community and be identified as the people of God.

1) Why are you here? We set ourselves up for defeat if our purpose doesn't originate with God. In the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, we ask that God's kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. My purpose has to have something to do with God's will being accomplished where He has planted me.

2) Am I seeking to obey Jesus or negotiate with Him? We are good at the negotiation. God, if You do this, then I will do this. If I win the lottery, I will begin to tithe. God, if You give me the desires of my heart, then I will work for you. God if You - but God isn't interested in our negotiation; he wants our obedience.

3) Am I looking at His Word as a command or a suggestion? When God says go and baptize, what does that mean? When God says I am to forgive seventy times seven times, is that like if I want to? If God says they will know we are Christians by our love, is that one of the ways they will know we are Christians? Is it love, as well as the rules that we follow and the way we vote on political issues, by which people will know we are Christians? A friend insists that they will know we are Christians by the way we gossip or by the way we put others down. Maybe he is correct, but he shouldn't be.

4) Am I living in sin with no sorrow or desire to escape it? Am I content with asking for forgiveness over and over again for the same sins?

5) Am I giving Him my very best?

Let me leave you with the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray

Our Father in heaven, holy is your name,
 your kingdom come, your will be done
      on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us today our daily bread
 Forgive us our sins, as we also have forgiven

those that have sinned against us.
 And lead us not into temptation,
 but deliver us from the evil one.'

for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 4