S. N. HASKELL by Stephen N. Haskell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Jul 2, 1908

S. N. HASKELL

By Stephen N. Haskell

Nehemiah — No. 2

S. N. HASKELL

WHILE we may admire Nehemiah in his character as an organizer and a builder, yet the finest traits in his character are seen when we study him as a Christian and a Bible student.

The first glimpse of this side of his character is seen in his sorrow on account of the desolate condition of Jerusalem. We can imagine how he was brought face to face with the proposition, whether he loved the cause of God more than the good position he held in the court of the king. No doubt many earnest prayers were offered before he came to the place where he was willing to attempt what was considered an almost hopeless task, in the face of countless difficulties. No wonder that his face betrayed the inward struggle of his soul, and was noticed by the king!

Nehemiah’s constant trust in God is shown by his sending up a prayer to heaven for wisdom before he answered the king. If all were in such close touch with heaven, there would be more men through whom God could work mightily for the advancement of his work in the earth. Nehemiah had an experience with God; he had something to tell. It would have been of great interest to us if he had recorded the testimony he bore in that first large gathering that he held after he reached Jerusalem. It was a stirring personal testimony of how God had wrought for Nehemiah personally, and perhaps he related his experience during that three months before he came to the place where he could relinquish his high position, and give all there was of him for the work of his God. All we have recorded is,—‘Then I told them of the hand of my God, which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me;’ and the same spirit of self-sacrifice entered into the people and they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.’

If every worker had a deep, living experience in the things of God to relate to the people, it would inspire courage and hope in their hearts. A stream can rise no higher than its fountain; we can not impart what we have not received. This truth is taught in the following scripture: ‘Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort whereby we ourselves are comforted of God; for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation aboundeth by Christ.’

The power Nehemiah had with the people was measured by the depth of the Christian experience he himself had experienced. Every man’s usefulness in the cause is measured by the depth of his own Christian experience.

When Nehemiah was ‘laughed to scorn’ by the enemies of the work, he replied, ‘The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build.’ He took no credit to himself, but gave all the honor to God. Over and over again, as the difficulties thickened around this faithful worker, we have his prayers recorded; he cries out to God for help, but does not slacken his efforts to forward the work. With weapons of war in one hand, and laboring tools in the other, they work from daylight until the stars come out, and watch all night. When the people might become discouraged, Nehemiah’s words of courage, ‘Our God shall fight for us,’ bring new hope and courage to the weary workers. Nehemiah did not direct others to do what he himself did not share. During the rush of work he never took off his clothes, except for washing; he was ready for any emergency that might arise day or night. When the conflict waxed the hottest, and the enemy was trying every device to turn him from the work and discourage him, we hear him pray, ‘O God, strengthen my hands,’ as he steadfastly refuses to make any compromises whatever with the enemy, or even to hide in the temple from their assaults.

When Tobiah, Sanballat, and the false prophets were striving by every means in their power to discourage him Nehemiah has no words for them, his prayer ascends as he hastens on with his work: ‘My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works,’ etc. He leaves it all with the Lord, and keeps at the work the Lord has given him to do. If he had stopped to parley with the enemy one moment, he would never have finished the wall in fifty-two days.

When the workers in the third angel’s message are so absorbed in hastening the work that they have no time nor words to spend on the enemy, we shall see the loud cry of the message, and a mighty work accomplished in a very short time.

Even the nobles were in league with the enemy, and were reporting Nehemiah’s

words to them, but Nehemiah had no time to spend mourning over this. He kept at his work, and the Lord wrought mightily for him. We serve the same God to-day, and the man that will have but one object, the upbuilding of God’s cause, and will keep that ever before him, and work unselfishly for that one end, will find that God will work just as mightily to-day as when Nehemiah built the walls of Jerusalem with a constant prayer on his lips, and an undaunted courage, born of a simple trust in his God.

When the wall was finished, there was then even a greater work to be accomplished; namely, a reformation among the whole nation, and Nehemiah called a general meeting, and the record states the people came together as one man. When the multitude were gathered, Ezra and the leading teachers in Jerusalem entered the pulpit and read from the book of the law. This reading began in the early morning, and continued until midday. The second day they read again, then they began celebrating the feast of tabernacles for seven days; and the record states that, ‘Day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God.’ A mighty reformation followed, not a reformation in forms only, but a heart reformation.

In the ninth chapter we have the record of another general meeting, when all the people were gathered together; and we find them spending one fourth part of each day in reading from the book of the law, and a fourth part in confession and worship.

If our annual gatherings of the people were after this order at the present day, we would see a mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God; if there were fewer business meetings and more Bible study, the people who attend these meetings would be strengthened in the work of the Lord.

In Nehemiah’s day all the leading Levites, thirteen of them, sat in the pulpit with Ezra, and Nehemiah was also present to listen and to aid in the service. What a good impression upon the people! One and all would feel that the Word of God was highly esteemed by the ministers; their presence and assistance gave dignity to the meeting and an impression of solemnity to the people. How different the influence of such a meeting than where none of the leaders are present!

Nehemiah himself really and truly feared God; it was no form with him; he felt that he needed to know God’s will. Thus, by precept and example, he taught the people the value of God’s Word.

When Nehemiah returned to Babylon to fulfil his promise to the king, after twelve years of arduous labor in Jerusalem, the people after a time departed from the instruction given in God’s Word. Tobiah took possession of the tithe chamber, and many other errors followed.

When Nehemiah returned, he called the people together, and, according to his custom, read from the book of the law. He Nehemiah evidently chose the subject, for we find that ‘they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people, and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God forever.’

One can readily see the effect of such a course upon the people, and the way was prepared for Nehemiah to ‘cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.’

Throughout the whole record of Nehemiah’s life-work we see him a close student of the Word of God, and a man of simple faith and prayer. This phase of his character is worthy of close and prayerful study by every child of God.

Oakland, Cal.