Book of Nehemiah Study
The Man with the Trumpet
And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
Nehemiah 4:17-23
17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that labored, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work and with the other hand held a weapon.
18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. {by his side: Heb. on his loins}
19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
21 So we labored in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labor on the day.
23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing. {saving…: or, every one went with his weapon for water}
The Builders were successful for three reasons:
1. A Righteous Cause
The builders were inspired to do the work. Their attitude and their energies were directed towards the effort. Society has many examples of people and groups, who won amazing victories, defied the obstacles and earned a place in history. The story of “The Alamo” is one such historical incident.
Nehemiah outlined the cause to the builders: “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” More than at any other time the rebuilding of Jerusalem became their cause.
2. A Visionary Leader
Nehemiah’s are sometimes hard to come by. At times we need someone who can stand in a crisis and declare God’s plan. There are times when we cannot afford to waver, but three must be someone who is able to point us in the right direction. Nehemiah stood up in the midst of despair and cried out, “Remember the Lord.”
The nation of France went though one of the bloodiest revolutions in the history of mankind from 1789 to the end of the 18th century, On July 14th, 1789 the Bastille was stormed and the atrocities of that period were staggering. England had no such revolution. Secular historians suggest that England be spared because of the great awakening that occurred under men like John Wesley and George Whitefield. Britain had her Nehemiah’s who stood tall in an age when other countries endured a reign of terror. Are you following a visionary leader?
3. A Source of Strength
The walls of Jerusalem went up and the people were gripped by the cause because of who they had their trust in. Guiding and empowering Nehemiah was God Himself. Nehemiah admitted that his success was die to” the gracious hand of God upon us.”
Texans today say, “Remember the Alamo!” but Nehemiah cried, “REMEMBER THE LORD! We are unable to win on our own strength. We fight and we rebuild only if the hand of God is upon us.
Back on the walls of Jerusalem the workforce had been split. Half worked while half were equipped to fight. They carried spears, swords, shields, and were dressed in armor (breastplate of metal or perhaps of leather). The burden bearers were loaded so that they always had one hand free to carry their weapon besides a sword, which they carried in a sheath around their waist.
The SHOFAR is a familiar item to Jewish culture and religion. It was a ram’s horn capable of carrying sound a long distance. This was a project under siege. They could expect to face a small army or have to intercept abettors at any time. Josephus a Jewish historian, who lived in the time of Christ, tells us that trumpeters were placed every 500 feet on the wall with orders to warn of impending danger. Gut this trumpeter walked the rounds with Nehemiah. He watched as the wall was inspected and he kept an eye out for the enemies. He stood ever ready to warn Nehemiah and also to protect him.
I want us to stop on one thought for a bit, The anonymous man with the trumpet reminds me of the Holy Spirit. But it is not in an Old Testament sense. Under the Old Covenant the Holy Spirit “came upon” and “departed from’ people at will. He is seen occasionally and selectively. The New Testament changed all that .Now He is uninterrupted sustainer of God’s power in our lives.
Like the “man with the trumpet” the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost).
1. Comes to Us
Have you ever heard the sound of the trumpet in your own life? You cannot mistake the presence of the Holy Spirit any more than you can mistake the sound of the trumpet. There are unmistakable evidences that He has come to stay.
2. Calms Us
It must have been unnerving for Nehemiah to walk through the ruins alone. He must have felt isolation and a tinge of fear as his spies reported the way the enemies were talking. The man with the trumpet was a constant form of security. Nehemiah was happy he was there. Inasmuch he was Nehemiah’s bodyguard, the Holy Spirit is our “soul guard.”
The Holy Spirit is such that David cried out, “Take not thy Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). Jesus calmed the disciples in John 14:16. “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.”
3. Comforts Us
The Holy Spirit is a companion in dangerous times. He is “good company” because of the stability He allows. He touches the raw edges of our inner hurts and whispers. “healing is on the way.” I’ve looked at people who have been hurt and they’ve looked at me through their pain and with assurances that is only born of faith, have said, “I’ll get through it .there’s a better day coming.” That’s the comfort of the Holy Ghost.
When we feel we do not belong, the Holy Spirit comforts. He brings a gentle witness that we are the “sons of God.” He testifies to our adoption. John 14:18 states, “I will not leave you comfortless will come to you”
Even a loner is not alone if the Holy Spirit indwells. The man with the trumpet abides.
Have you ever felt the knowledge of someone else being present?
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Mt 20:22; Jas 4:3; Zec 12:10; Eph 6:18
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. {because: or, that}
4. He Copes for Us
Folk, survival is not enough. Nehemiah lived in a dangerous time. The people worked from the first light of dawn u ntil the stars came out. They could not survive without hope. The work would have failed if they had lost their vision. The man with the trumpet was the person who would, at the sign of danger, awaken the security forces when the attack came. Likewise the Holy Spirit is the One who calls in the reinforcements of heaven to help us in situations that are beyond our control. When we are working in this wold, the tools in one hand and the sword in the other, we always try and tune out ears to the sound of the trumpet.
5. Cares for Us
We all labor along the wall, but sometimes we may not know what happens at a work site some distance away. I read of a story how a daughter accompanied her father on a missionary trip. She contacted a strange virus and was close to death. The man with the trumpet awakened another mother hundreds of miles away and impressioned her with the need to intercede for a girl in a situation she had no knowledge of all. She heard the insistent tones of the trumpet and began to intercede.
Never underestimate what the Holy Spirit is doing when we are asleep or when we re unaware of what is happening in the lies of those we are for.
6. Convicts Us
The Holy Spirit is the:” alarm system” of our lives. He wants us when the devil is making an attack against others and sometimes He warns us when we are under attack ourselves. Some new Christians may well ask, “How do I know when I am doing something wrong? Believe me, you’ll know. But when the trumpeter plays a tune, don’t tune Him out, listen with all your heart.
7. Converts Us
Two trumpets, one purpose, one Person – The Holy Spirit, always vigilant to supply our needs, to warn us of danger, to deliver assurance and to testify of Christ so that more come to know Him. He does this, even and perhaps especially, when we look at the rubble of lives and as He directs we pick up a brick and begin to build.
Have you listened to the trumpet (the Holy Spirit) speaking to you about salvation? Have you followed the plan of salvation given in Acts 2:38 which involved believing who God is, being baptised in Jesus name for remission of sins which is the washing away of our sins, being filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues and then enduring to the end. I pray that if you have not that you will open your heart and let the Lord In. You will not regret that decision
Acts 2:38 (KJV) Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
I have often told the story of being on a ship. A storm comes up and the ship gets in trouble . It begins to sink and the people must get off the ship immediately. Thousands and into life boats etc. Once they are in the life boats they still are not safe . They must reach their destination of land. Ships in the area and planes come to their rescue but until they are rescued they are not safe. When they are plucked from the life boats and water and taken aboard the rescue ships or planes and then taken to land only then are they safe. In the same way with salvation, We have to believe first that Jesus is God , then we have to be baptised in His name . We are not safe yet . We must be filled with the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues as the spirit gives us utterance but we are not safe as yet. We must live holy lives , santified lives daily and it is ongong and only when we get to be with Jesus are we safe. I hope this little story helps you to understand the plan of salvation It is very simple and was revealed to me after many years of being taught in error , I use to believe that just saying the sinners prayer was enought but through revelation I learned that was only a first step and more must be done for me to be truly saved. Praise the Lord!!
