Brokenness is a universal condition. Everything is broken in one fashion or
another. It is a consequence of the
fall. Nations are broken. Institutions
are broken. People are broken. Nothing is exempt. It’s true that not everything is broken to
the same degree, but brokenness is inescapable.
Nehemiah is a book about brokenness. The setting of the book is the aftermath of
the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and the subsequent deportation of the
Jews from Jerusalem to Babylon. After 70
years in exile, a group of 50,000 Israelites return to Jerusalem and find it in
shambles. The temple and city walls have
been destroyed. What is left of the city
is occupied by all kinds of people who now claim it as their home. Nothing is the same. Their release from captivity has essentially
been a transfer from one nightmare to a worse one. Now, 93 years after their return, Nehemiah
receives word that not much has changed.
The temple has been reopened under the supervision of Ezra, but not much
else has changed. The walls are still in
shambles, and the Jews are in constant danger from people within and outside
the city.
When Nehemiah hears this, he weeps. Who wouldn’t?
Things were supposed to get better, but they didn’t. It’s how many of us feel about our own broken
lives. We keep thinking that things
should get better, but often they don’t.
Sometimes we start to wonder why God doesn’t just fix things for us, or
if he has abandoned us. After all, we
are supposed to be his children! But
Nehemiah is not a book of despair. In
fact, it is just the opposite. Nehemiah
helps us understand that it is not God’s intent that we simply hang on in a
broken world, but that we live victoriously in it. It isn’t always easy, but Nehemiah shows us
that if we are willing to be patient, pray, trust God, and devote ourselves to
his calling, he will in his timing lift us up and give us a song of
praise. It is a fascinating book that is
encouraging and practical. I suggest
that you read it once in its entirety before Sunday, and ask God to give you a
new perspective on the brokenness in your life and in the world around you.
Blessings,
Scott
