Monthly Study
October 2023Come Let Us Rebuild
A Study of Nehemiah
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”—Nehemiah 2:17
Have you ever felt like your life was in shambles? Maybe things have fallen apart, everything you value is marred or even broken. In this month’s daily devotional study, we meet a government official named Nehemiah who was facing a ruined city and a broken people. Journey with us to a place called Susa in the Persian Empire in the 400s BC. But we won’t stay in Susa long. We’ll spend most of our time in Jerusalem, where Nehemiah works hard to rebuild the city’s walls and restore the people’s relationship with God. Over the next month, I pray you will:
- Respond to the Lord in repentance and worship
- Grow in your trust of Christ and boldness for Him
- Worship the Lord for His faithfulness
Your devotional writer,
Russell L. Meek
Volume 36Edition 10
Managing Editor: Jamie Janosz, Senior Editor: Elena Mafter, Contributing Editor: John Koessler, Writer: Russell Meek, Art Director: Lynn Gabalec, Graphic Designer: Rachel Hutcheson, Marketing & Production: Paul B. Currie
About the Author
Russell Meek
Dr. Russell L. Meek teaches Old Testament and Hebrew at Moody Theological Seminary.
View MoreDevotional Calendar
Podcasts
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The Lord Comforts
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Do you know what your name means? There are websites and books dedicated to explaining the meaning behind names. Maybe you were given a family name—I’m named after my paternal grandfather—or maybe your name evokes a favorite song, or your parents just liked the way it sounds.
October 1, 2023
Times of Trouble
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Going against the wave of technology, I exchanged my smartphone for a “dumb” phone several years ago. But before then, I remember texting with friends and seeing those little three dots come up that indicate your recipient is typing a response.
October 2, 2023
A Prayer God Hears
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I’ve never read Judy Blume’s book Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, but time and again I’ve thought of that title as I poured out prayers that felt like they got no further than the ceiling. Did God hear me?
October 3, 2023
Enemies of God’s Work
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Like many people, I typically interpret opposition as a sign that I am doing something wrong, while a smooth road ahead makes me think I’m on the right path. We learned yesterday that God made the way smooth for Nehemiah, but today we read the first hint that not everyone would support Nehemiah’s mission. Should he take the displeasure of two important men as a sign he should not rebuild Jerusalem’s walls?
October 5, 2023
The Courage to Begin
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Have you ever been faced with a huge task, afraid to take the first step even when you knew God had called you to it? Perhaps you had everything planned out, knew God was with you, and all that was left was to begin...
October 6, 2023
Mocking and Ridicule
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I was mocked a lot as a kid. I was dorky, into video games, bad at sports, short, and weighed more than most kids my age. Mocking and ridicule hurt.
October 7, 2023
Too Good to Serve?
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Have you ever seen Undercover Boss, the reality TV show? In it, a company’s CEO, owner, or other high-ranking employees go undercover to work at an entry-level position in their company.
October 8, 2023
Facing Down Opposition
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Have you ever experienced a time in your life when it felt like everyone and everything was against you? Everywhere you turned, you faced the enemy’s fiery darts. Such times call us to trust in the Lord and stand firm in our faith.
October 9, 2023
Weapons at the Ready
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I love basketball and underdog movies. That’s why Glory Road is one of my favorite films. It tells the story of Texas Western College, the first team in NCAA history with an all-black starting lineup. I won’t spoil the ending if you haven’t seen it; what’s important is the enormous opposition these students overcame in order to play. Like the workers in the book of Nehemiah, they refused to give up, no matter what came their way.
October 10, 2023
Defending the Weak
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When asked about the most important law in the Old Testament, Jesus famously responded that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Matt. 22:37).
October 11, 2023
Live Generously
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If you’ve watched shows such as Downton Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs, you know that in England, the nobility lived in an entirely different world than the serving class. The same wealth gap existed in Nehemiah’s time.
October 12, 2023
Refusing to Cower
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In 1895, a young woman named Amy Carmichael came to India where she made it her life’s mission to rescue orphaned temple children. Amy founded the Dohnavur Fellowship which included nurseries, cottage homes, hospitals, and schools. But the young missionary encountered fierce opposition. Amy refused to give up, saying, “When I consider the cross of Christ, how can anything that I do be called sacrifice?”
October 13, 2023
The Wall Is Finished!
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Do you remember the last time you successfully finished something you thought could never be accomplished? I remember the moment my wife delivered our oldest son after 48 hours of labor.
October 14, 2023
Beware of Corruption
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We’ve all heard that “Bad company corrupts good morals” or “One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel”. Jesus gave a similar warning, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees” (Matt. 16:6).
October 15, 2023
Generation after Generation
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I’ve been teaching Old Testament at Moody Bible Institute for ten years now, so I have it on good authority that the long genealogies are everyone’s favorite part of Scripture. How can you not love the long lists of names that no one can pronounce? I’m kidding, of course. Most folks may be tempted to skip over the genealogies—and that usually includes me! But “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). So why are these long lists of names included in the Bible?
October 16, 2023
Making Scripture Clear
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Do you have a favorite passage of Scripture, one that always brings you comfort, or hope, or joy, or peace? Today’s reading is one of those passages for me.
October 17, 2023
The Joy of Understanding
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Have you ever attended a wedding reception? It’s one of my favorite events. I love the food, the cake, and the smiles plastered on everyone’s faces. Most of all I love that it makes me think of my own marriage and all the joy, life, and hope wrapped up in that relationship. These few verses in Nehemiah recall a similar occasion, where God’s people were filled with overwhelming joy and hope for the future.
October 18, 2023
Returning to Obedience
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Have you ever been on a camping trip? I’ve been on several such trips, spending the evenings around the campfire and sleeping on the ground in a tent. Well, today’s passage describes something sort of like that, but also significantly different.
October 19, 2023
Read, Confess, Worship
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Several years ago, my wife and I were part of a new church in Kansas City. One of my favorite parts of this fledgling community was that each Sunday included the basic format we see in Nehemiah 9. We would spend time together in prayer, confession and repentance, the public reading of Scripture, and worship. There was a sermon, of course, and we know from earlier in this study that Ezra and other leaders put a high priority on helping people understand Scripture.
October 20, 2023
Rightly Remembering the Past
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Have you ever been tempted to remember something a bit differently than it happened? I may be the only one, but I tend to remember my sin as not so bad and to spin what I did (or didn’t do) to make myself look better or feel better.
October 21, 2023
God’s Faithfulness
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Sometimes the distressing situation we find ourselves in is a result of our own poor choices. Sin has consequences, and we live with the fall because of our disobedience. Nehemiah chapter 9 ends with a plea to God: “We are in great distress” (v. 37). God’s people had just prayed a prayer, being radically honest before God. They conclude by asking God to be faithful, just as He always has been. In their state of distress, they need Him!
October 22, 2023
Covenanting to Obey
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Growing up Southern Baptist, I was presented with several options at the altar call each week. The speaker called those who did not know Jesus to repent and trust in Him; those who knew Jesus but had been living in sin to “rededicate their lives” to Christ; and for others to surrender to God’s call into vocational ministry.
October 23, 2023
Repopulating the Holy City
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My wife and I have lived in four different States during our marriage, and each move became increasingly complex. The most recent, from central Louisiana to northern Idaho, was the most difficult because we had three children in tow.
October 24, 2023
The Walls Dedicated
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Think about your favorite book or movie or television show. What was the best part? What do you remember most fondly? Every good story moves up, up, up, with building tension, action, and conflict, until finally you reach the story’s high point, or climax, and then the action falls off and the story ends.
October 25, 2023
Providing for Temple Service
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Pastor and author A. W. Tozer once observed, “As base a thing as money often is, yet it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor. It can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.” Giving is an important topic that appears throughout the Old and New Testaments. But in Nehemiah 12 we are reminded that God’s people are to support spiritual leaders.
October 26, 2023
A Need to Repent
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What does it mean to repent? It is one thing to feel sorry that you did wrong, it is another thing to truly repent. As Martin Luther said, “To do so [to sin] no more is the truest repentance.”
October 27, 2023
Neglecting the House of God
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Many churches, especially small congregations with very few full- time staff, will host a workday. On that day, members come together to complete much needed fix-it projects and generally clean up the building and property. They treat their church building with respect and care.
October 28, 2023
Selling on the Sabbath
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Growing up, I believed that Christians “don’t drink, smoke, or chew, or go with girls who do.” Never once did someone tell me that stopping by the grocery store on the way home from church was a “wicked thing.” But that’s exactly what Nehemiah tells the people of Judah who were buying, selling, and going about their normal work on the Sabbath. To our modern ears this may seem strange. We might ask, “What’s the big deal?”
October 29, 2023
Forbidden Marriage
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Contemporary readers may be shocked by Nehemiah’s behavior in today’s passage, especially in this age that celebrates inclusivity and diversity (v. 23). Nehemiah, however, offers two explanations for taking such extreme measures.
October 30, 2023
Remember Me with Favor
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What a journey we have taken this month! We traveled with Nehemiah from the Persian capital all the way to Jerusalem. We mourned over the devastation of Jerusalem and rejoiced when God’s favor fell upon His servant.
October 31, 2023
God’s Gracious Hand
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Have you ever been afraid to ask your boss for something, such as a raise or maybe some time off? I know I have! I’ve been anxious that the answer would be no, or—even worse—that I’d be fired for presuming my worth. Now, imagine if your boss could literally murder you any time with no repercussions whatsoever. And what if you’re asking for something the boss already promised would never happen. That was the situation for Nehemiah in today’s passage.
November 4, 2023