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. Nehemiah 1:3
Bad news from home is always the worst. Nehemiah saw a good friend from back home and asked him how things were in Jerusalem. It was not just small talk; Nehemiah truly wanted to know how things were, and Hanani gave it to him straight. There was nothing like a ‘Well, it’s a struggle like always but we’re getting by’. He did not sugar-coat the condition of the city, because he knew that Nehemiah really cared, and deserved to know the truth. Hanani probably never realized what impact his truthful words would have; he just delivered the bad news as faithfully as he could. Even if it broke Nehemiah’s heart. Which it did.
Hanani was first of all concerned about the Lord’s people. He spoke of their being a remnant, and of being in great affliction and reproach. He understood their condition, and the tone of his response to Nehemiah indicates that he really cared. Good people today like Hanani recognize problems among the Lord’s people, and they care about their troubles. After all, the Lord’s people today are but a remnant, weak and insignificant among the enemies among whom we live. Like the Jewish people struggling to live in and around Jerusalem, the Christians today encounter plenty of opposition to our efforts to live for God. And like those Jews in Jerusalem, the more faithful we try to be to the Word of God, the more the enemies assault us. That’s just the way it is when the Lord’s people seek to live for their Lord.
The message from home also told of walls of the city being broken down. This exposed the inhabitants to all manner of attacks, including the arrival of people with no right to be there at all. That is what happens when the walls of God’s Assembly are allowed to be breached, when the truths of separation are compromised, when those things that differentiate the Lord’s people from the world are allowed to crumble. We need strong walls of truth and commitment to the Lord’s interests. Without them, we expose ourselves to danger and abuse. Just as Jerusalem had become an ineffective centre for the Lord’s people because of the collapse of the walls, so our assemblies will become ineffective as a standard for God and as a voice in the Gospel if we do not maintain the walls that Scripture demands.
Gates that were burned with fire were an insult that enemies would impose after sacking a city. The gates of Jerusalem were to allow those to enter who had a right to do so, and to refuse admittance to those with no right to enter. Burning the gates opened the access to any and all. Some places around us have burned the gates, and make no difference as to who is admitted to their fellowship. This is always a recipe for tragedy. That is why careful examination of applicants by godly oversight is critical to preserving God’s Assembly. Preserving the gates preserves the city.
So, the news from home was not good. Let us be very careful today so that we do not fall into the same problems. -Jim MacIntosh