Preschool
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16).
Zeal for the Kingdom
Memory Verses
Primary
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
Junior
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
Background Scripture: Nehemiah 1-4
Lesson Scripture: Nehemiah 1:1-7, 11; 2:1-5
Introduction
The dictionary defines zeal as fervor or eagerness and an ardent interest in pursuit of something. Do we approach Christian living and our place in God’s kingdom this way? Are we eager to do what we can for God and his kingdom? Whether our work is unnoticed or in the forefront, do we have a mind to work?
Nehemiah was interested in the welfare of the city of Jerusalem, knowing that all of the people living in the city and surrounding area would benefit from the walls being rebuilt. As we individually give ourselves to the work, inspiring others or being inspired by others, we will recognize that success for the kingdom of God is of mutual benefit to all of us. “So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work” (Neh. 4:6).
Key Verse
For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me (Ps. 69:9).
Lesson Scripture
Nehemiah 1:1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,
2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
5 And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.
7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.
2:1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
Studying the Lesson
The setting of this lesson is after the people of Israel had been captured and taken into slavery and were now living in the foreign country of Persia. Nehemiah was one of those born in exile. He was in a position very few Israelites ever found themselves in. How he attained such an appointment so close to the king is unknown.
Not all the people had been taken captive. We do not know how many were left in the land of Judah, but it may have been a goodly number. Little is known about this group of people, probably because they were mostly unskilled and unlearned. Nevertheless, there must have been communication from Judah to the Persian empire from time to time. How much of this communication reached the king’s palace is unknown.
This particular time, when a group came from Judah, Nehemiah inquired about the people and the state of affairs in Judah. The report was that the people were in great affliction and reproach, and the wall and gates of Jerusalem were in ruins. After fasting, praying, and weeping several days Nehemiah was again asked to fill his position before the king. Up to this time it appears he had been able to hide his feelings in the king’s presence, but now it was different. The king inquired about his sadness, noting that it was sorrow of heart. Nehemiah opened his heart to the king and told him the reason for his heaviness. The king was open to Nehemiah’s request. Nehemiah was commissioned by King Artaxerxes to go rebuild the walls and was given the necessary letters to authorize the work.
Nehemiah willingly laid down his distinguished position as the king’s cupbearer and went to Jerusalem to do the work God had inspired him to do. So great was his zeal for the work at Jersusalem that he considered his position in the Persian kingdom as less important than doing God’s will.
Practical Truths for Today
The lesson scripture tells us that when Nehemiah heard of the situation in Judah and especially Jerusalem, he immediately put the matter to prayer. He mourned certain days and spent time searching his own heart. He confessed that he and his people had sinned, asked God to be attentive and hear his prayer, and turned to God, asking for forgiveness and help. God answered Nehemiah’s prayer by giving him favor before the king, and his request to go help rebuild was granted. Letters authorizing the rebuilding were issued along with the authority to requisition supplies.
Nehemiah humbled himself before the Lord and looked into his own life first. We do not read he passed judgment on his people or chided his brethren for work neglected or left undone; he rather inspired them with a willingness to get involved. The humility Nehemiah portrayed was surely due to understanding that this was God’s work, not his. Rebuilding the city’s walls would benefit all of God’s people, not only those living in Jerusalem.
Few of us are called to a work the scale of Nehemiah’s, but we are called to contribute to furthering God’s kingdom in the way that we can. The call to help our family or our congregation will result in helping the church at large. We need the vision that when our congregation prospers, we all prosper.
The requirements for enthusiastic service are the same today as they were for Nehemiah. We need a humble heart and a willingness to acknowledge our weakness and ask for forgiveness for our past failings. We do not necessarily need a great revelation, but we do need a simple understanding of God’s will. Nehemiah heard of the plight in Jerusalem and was moved to do what he could. When we see a need, can we simply be willing to do what we can?
We do much to help the kingdom of God prosper when we conscientiously live the faith to our best ability. Being a light to the world in how we dress, speak, and conduct our business dealings and behavior are ways we are all called to help build the walls. It is easy to think these do not matter or have such an impact, but they do. Quietly and humbly living the doctrines of the Bible and the church are works of faith. Often the little things are really big things. Nehemiah wasn’t necessarily called to rebuild the walls; his calling was to inspire people to get involved.
The walls of Jerusalem were not there to keep people in; they were built to keep the enemy out. We lose no freedom by building walls to keep the enemy out; rather, we gain the freedom of moving about freely within. Are we zealous about the walls of our own home along with the walls of the kingdom? Are we careful to reinforce the places currently sustaining damage, as all walls will from time to time? Are we available to be used in sounding an alarm or inspiring our brethren when God asks us to? Young parents, how are the walls of your home? Those walls need regular maintenance because as the home is, so is the church.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13). God does not want us to feel useless, but neither does He want us to be proud. Moving ahead in humility, with the confidence that Christ has given us the strength and ability we do have, allows us to do things not possible on our own or in the spirit of pride. Nehemiah told the king what conditions were like in Jerusalem and confidently asked for time and resources to do his part to help. We can do likewise in the face of today’s spiritual adversaries with the confidence that through Christ we have the resources we need to accomplish God’s will.
We become ineffective in God’s work when we let thoughts of pride enter our mind. When we take things upon ourselves and try to move ahead, we are working on our own. We must allow the Holy Spirit to direct our zeal, or it is soon replaced with our own agenda. The Holy Spirit will remind us to be careful when we are tempted to go on our own. If we do not listen, our zeal becomes misplaced.
A confident personality can sometimes be interpreted as being overzealous. Those with these tendencies will need to be careful to remain considerate and submissive when interacting with their fellowmen. On the other hand, we should not hastily judge someone for being overzealous when they are working in the element that God desires for them to work in. The many talents given by God to his people are for their mutual benefit, and we should not criticize someone for working in their natural ability.
Sometimes we have the opportunity to share thoughts and ideas with our brethren; sometimes we need to move forward in good faith. Most of the time, we give ourselves the confidence we are doing our best to understand the Holy Spirit’s direction. Are we willing to grant confidence to our brethren that they are doing the same?
In the parable of the talents (Mat. 25:14-30), those who traded with their talents and gained more did not come before their king in overconfident exuberance nor in shrinking hesitation. Their joy of gain was not misplaced zeal. The man who returned the single talent was the one who portrayed a lack of zeal. He did not wisely use what God had given him. The apostle Paul, when giving his farewell in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, gives no thought to misplaced zeal. He humbly tells us he has fought a good fight and kept the faith. What prevents you from honestly and humbly saying the same?
Nehemiah did not see his call and inspiration as a burden. Realistically, he surely understood the time and effort it would take to fulfill his responsibility, but he moved forward in confidence that the work could be completed. Personally and collectively, we need to do the same. With God’s help, our work will also be completed, and the safety of the church will be maintained. If our zeal is guided by humility and our inspiration is for the good of the church, we will be successful. God has promised us eternal life.
Questions
- How is zeal to be properly channeled?
- How do we become willing to lay down our own thoughts and ideas and get behind a different one?
- Discuss: There is work that we all can do.
- What is being overzealous? Can reproving a brother for an overzealous approach also be overzealous in itself?
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).