Our Scripture reading for today, dear friends, as we resume and indeed conclude our series of studies on the book of Nehemiah, is found in the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, beginning in the 6th chapter. It's before the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs in the Old Testament, the book of Nehemiah, the 6th chapter, and we will begin reading in verse 1 and read through the 3rd verse of Nehemiah chapter 7. Nehemiah 6, beginning in verse 1, and again reading through the third verse of the seventh chapter, let us hear the word of the Lord. When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it, though up to that time I had not set the doors and the gates, Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message, Let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono. But they were scheming to harm me, so I sent messengers to them with this reply. I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you? Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. Then the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aid to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written, it is reported among the nations, Geshem says it is true, that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports, you are about to become their king, and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem. There is a king in Judah. Now this report will get back to the king, so come, let us confer together. I sent him this reply, nothing like what you are saying is happening. You are just making it up out of your head. They were all trying to frighten us, thinking their hands will get too weak for the work and it will not be completed. But I prayed, now strengthen my hands. One day I went to the house of Shemaiah, son of Deliah, the son of Mehet, who was shut in at his home. He said, let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you. By night they are coming to kill you. But I said, should a man like me run away, or should one like me go into the temple to save his life, I will not go. I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, oh my God, because of what they have done. Remember also the prophetess, Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me. So the wall was completed on the 25th of Elul in 52 days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Also in those days, the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekeniah, son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshulam, son of Berechiah. Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds, and then telling him what I said. Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me. After the wall had been rebuilt, and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do. I said to them, the gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses. Thus far, the reading of God's Holy Word. And as always, dear friends, I ask and urge you to keep your Bibles open and handy as we look to God's Word together today. Dear congregation of Jesus Christ, if you have been worshiping with us over these past several weeks, you may recall that thus far in our series of studies on the book of Nehemiah, we have considered together such themes as being burdened for the broken wall, inspecting the ruins, rebuilding the wall, overcoming opposition, and compassion for the poor. Interestingly enough, in the course of this series of studies, one Sunday morning a few weeks ago, one of our members came up to me, and she was very eager and earnest when she asked me this question. And she said, how long did it take them to complete the building of the wall? And I said to her, well, that's sort of one of the punchlines of this sermon series, and so I'd rather not tell you that right now. But I assure you that when we get to that point and you find out how quickly it was completed, you will be surprised indeed. Now, I don't know if she went ahead and read for herself and found out the answer to that question, but you may have noticed the answer to that question is, in fact, recorded in the words of our text. In fact, look with me, if you would, once again, at Nehemiah 6, verse 15, where we read, the wall was completed on the 25th of Olal in 52 days." Now friends, the 25th of Olal roughly corresponds to October 2, 444 B.C. But now think of this, the ruins to the wall of Jerusalem had been lying there for some 150 years. But in the plan and providence of God, when under the leadership of the likes of Ezra and Nehemiah, the work of the rebuilding began, they were able to complete it in just 52 days. Now think of that. It's remarkable. It practically blows our minds. And we might ask ourselves, how could that possibly be? How could that possibly be? Well, again, If you have been with us over these past several studies, you may recall that we were looking at several biblical principles which helped encourage the people and fortify the people to the task at hand, even in spite of such great opposition. You may also recall that we tried to take those same principles of Scripture and apply them to our own rebuilding of walls, as it were, The rebuilding of the walls of our homes, the rebuilding of our walls of our families, the rebuilding of the walls of our marriages, the rebuilding of the walls of a congregation, or of our nation, or anywhere else within the worldwide church and kingdom of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we seek by God's grace to do that exact same thing today. In fact, brothers and sisters, as we begin working our way through the words of our text as recorded in Nehemiah 6, and again those first few verses of Nehemiah 7, and as we close out this relatively brief series of studies on the book of Nehemiah, we find ourselves being very personally and practically instructed by three key realities. Three key realities which you and I also must own and implement, if like Nehemiah, we too desire to be able to take part in the joy and in the victory of completing the wall. Now then, The first key reality with which Nehemiah had to deal, and the first key reality with which you and I must also then deal as well, concerns the reality of ongoing opposition. The reality of ongoing opposition. For example, We have already considered the level of opposition which Nehemiah and the builders of the wall had already faced. But here in our scripture reading for today, three more means of opposition, I'll call it, are highlighted, which I would like to highlight for us as well. And I'm going to use three terms that I gleaned from a particular Bible commentary because of the alliteration value. It helps us to remember what they are. But I just want you to know I didn't make up these terms. I gleaned them from a particular Bible commentator. And anyway, first of all, our text teaches us, the opposition tried intrigue. The opposition tried intrigue. What is intrigue? Boys and girls, young people, intrigue essentially is trickery or secret scheming. They tried intrigue. For example, look at the first couple of verses of Nehemiah 6 with me if you would. When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and not a gap was left in it, though up to that time I had not set the doors and the gates, Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message. Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono. Now, biblical archaeologists tell us that the plain of Ono was probably located somewhere between Jerusalem in the south, in Judah, and Samaria a bit to the north. And they surmise that perhaps Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab were trying to seduce Nehemiah with a seemingly neutral territory for him to come to. And so they invite him and they say, why don't you come to us and meet with us in one of the villages of the plain of Ono. But as our text goes on to tell us, you can see that Nehemiah responded to this invitation to the plain of Ono by saying, Oh no. He said, Oh no, I am not going to go. And the reason is, in the words of the great Bible commentator Matthew Henry, Sanballat and Geshem hoped, like Judas, to kiss and kill. Not kiss and tell, but to kiss and kill. In fact, as Nehemiah himself goes on to say here in the words of the text, "...but they were scheming to harm me." Verse 3, "...so I sent messengers to them with this reply, I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you? Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer." Now friends, notice something here, critically important. Nehemiah refused to allow himself to be distracted from the work to which God had called him. I'm going to say that again. Nehemiah refused to allow himself to be distracted from the work to which the Lord God had called him. And why is that significant? Well, it's significant because here is Nehemiah with this high and holy calling of the rebuilding of the wall. These men wanted to go aside. They wanted to travel away to meet with him and indeed to harm him. And Satan tries that exact same thing with you and me, does he not? You say, what do you mean by that? What I mean by that is picture where God has placed you or me in our own home, in our own family, in a relationship. Think of where God has placed us within the church or kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Think of the different hats we wear, so to speak, or the roles that we are called to fulfill. And God has called you and me to those specific missions. Now, if Satan cannot destroy us in that particular position or situation or in the fulfillment of that role, as we learn in the words of our text, he will seek to distract us from fulfilling that mission and in effect accomplish the very same thing, namely the lack of the completion of the wall. Do you understand what I'm saying? If he cannot destroy us, he will try to distract us. Illustration, just yesterday. Saturday's usually a long study day for me. I lock myself in the study for maybe 13, 15 hours. My wife checks on me to make sure I'm alive. That was a beautiful day yesterday, but I needed to be in there studying, but that's what I do. I just love being holed up, left alone, concentrate, be about the study of God's word, preparing the messages for today. So yesterday morning, it was about 10 or 10.30, I suppose, the doorbell rings, and Margaret was out for a couple hours. I'm thinking, oh, shoot. So I run downstairs. I'm figuring I'd say what? A trick-or-treater. So I grab the bowl of candy she had there on the front, and I open the door, and I'm trying to hurry this along, and it's this little maybe 10, 12-year-old girl in a Girl Scout uniform. So I figure she's trick-or-treating. So I said, oh, hi, honey. I said, here you go. Why don't you take some candy? I'm trying to hurry her along. And she goes, oh, I'm not trick-or-treating. I said, oh, I'm sorry. I said, did we buy something from you? Do you need some money? And she said, no. I said, well, what are you here for? And she said, well, I'm here to just collect food. And I've got this bag, and I was just wondering if you could put some food in my bag. I said, well, listen, my wife's not home, and I really don't know what to get out of the kitchen. And we do boxes of love at the church and everything. And I really don't have any food for you. I'm really sorry, but thanks for stopping. And she says, OK. And she's walking away, and I really felt bad. And so I yelled after her, I really like your uniform. I want to say something, but the point is, now I have nothing against Girl Scouts. If you are a Girl Scout or whatever, fine. I have nothing against Girl Scouts, but the point is, I had a more important task to do than to talk to the Girl Scout. I was about the study of God's word, and I was about preparing the messages for God's people, you see, and while Satan didn't destroy me, he sure was good at distracting me. In fact, I started praying for Margaret to get home, because then the trick-or-treaters started coming, and the doorbell just kept ringing, and I kept having to run downstairs to get the door. So just be mindful of that. It is part of the intrigue that Satan can use against us when we are to be about the building of these walls that we're talking about. If he can't destroy us, he will try to distract us. Ah, but notice, friends, it wasn't only intrigue, which the enemies of the completing of the wall were trying. But secondly, they also tried innuendo. They also tried innuendo. That is, in an attempt to defame Nehemiah's name and character. For example, look at verse 5 through the first part of verse 9 with me, if you would, of Nehemiah 6. Here we read, beginning in verse 5. Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aid to me. See, now he's sending someone close to Sanballat himself. He's sending an emissary. The fifth time, Sanballat sent his aid to me with the same message. And in his hand was an unsealed letter. Now, why is that important? It's important because an unsealed letter could be read publicly. And so Sanballat had in mind that I am going to send this message through my aid. It's going to be unsealed. So anybody who wants to see it can see it. Anybody who wants to read it can read it. And I don't care if he reads it in the public square. He's trying to maximize the damage you see. And so the fifth time, Sam Batlet sent his aid to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written, it is reported among the nations, and Geshem says it is true, that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports, you are about to become their king, and I've even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem. There is a king in Judah. Now this report will get back to the king, that is to King Artaxerxes, the king of Persia whom we have met previously. Now this report will get back to the king, so come, let us confer together." I sent him this reply. Nothing like what you are saying is happening. You are just making it up out of your head. Now friends, the Hebrew here is very interesting. The New American Standard says you are just inventing these things out of your own head. If you're taking notes, the Hebrew word is Bada, B-A-D-A. And b'dah is a term used in the Old Testament only two times. It's used here in verse 7 of the text, and it's also used in 1 Kings 12, verse 8. It's used here in verse 8. You are making this up out of your head. They were all trying to frighten us, thinking their hands will get too weak for the work and it will not be completed. Stay with me again. This phrase, too weak for the work, is a single term in the original. It's Raphah. R-A-P-H-A-H. Raphah. And it's a Hebrew expression meaning they would become discouraged or they would become demoralized. Their hands will become weak, as it were, and the work will not be completed. Now friends, a third and final way in which the enemies tried to oppose the completion of the wall was through intimidation. Was through intimidation. For example, drop down to verses 10 through 13 with me if you would please. Nehemiah writes, one day I went to the house of Shemaiah, son of Deliah, the son of Mehet to Bel, who was shut in at his home. Now I found that very interesting and I said to myself, well why was he shut in at his home? Was he sick? Was he an invalid? Was he in hiding? Why was he shut in? You kind of picture this guy in his house with his shades drawn and his doors locked. He's shut in in his home. Why was he? And then I discovered a very helpful footnote here in my study Bible concerning this being shut in. And it says, quote, perhaps as a symbolic action to indicate that his own life was in danger and to suggest that both Nehemiah and he must flee to the temple. In other words, it was a ruse. It was a seduction. It was most likely a trick saying, hey, I am shut in. We have to really be careful. There's people out looking for us and they want to kill us. We'd better go to the temple. And so that's what happened. He says, let us meet in the house of God inside the temple and let us close the temple doors because men are coming to kill you. By night, they are coming to kill you. But I said, should a man like me run away, or should one like me go into the temple to save his life, I will not go. I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. But then I asked myself, well, why would it have been a sin for Nehemiah to go with him to the temple or to hide in the temple? What was so bad about that? And then in my studying of the scriptures, I came across a very fascinating text back in Numbers chapter 18. If you just want to turn there, if you want to just listen, that's OK. But in the book of Numbers, the 18th chapter, God is giving instructions to Aaron, the high priest. And in Numbers 18, verse seven, God continues and he says to Aaron, But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Notice, anyone else who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death. And so even though all of these opponents were rising up against him, even though he's being seduced to go to the temple, Nehemiah knows God's law. He says, I will not do it, I will not compromise, I'm going to trust myself to God, I will not commit this sin. Now friends, similarly, on top of all this, let's go back to Nehemiah 6, where in verses 17-19 further aspects of the intimidation are set forth. Nehemiah 6, look with me now at verses 17-19. He writes, also in those days, the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. For many in Judah were under oath to him, since, notice, he was son-in-law to Shekeniah son of Arah, who was a Jew, and his son Jehohenan had married the daughter of Meshulam son of Berechiah, of whom we read in Nehemiah 3, I believe it is, where he was actively engaged in the building of the wall. The point is that Tobiah had married himself into two prominent Jewish families. And so they were, in a sense, obligated to him. They owed him something. He had an in, if you will, among the leaders of the Jews, even though he was opposed to the completion of the wall. And so is it any wonder that the great Bible commentator Matthew Henry writes, Nehemiah also had to deal with the vexation of seeing some of his own people treacherously corresponding with Tobiah, end of quote. In fact, that's what Nehemiah goes on to explain in further detail. He talks about how Tobiah had married himself through two means into the Jewish family. And then in verse 19 it says, moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobias sent letters to intimidate me. Now friends, why do I highlight all of this for us? Well, the reason is because you and I can rest assured beyond any shadow of a doubt As you and I are trying to rebuild the walls of our marriages and of our families, as you and I are trying to rebuild the walls of a congregation or of our nation or of some other wall elsewhere within the worldwide church and kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Satan is going to try the exact same things in order to prevent the completing of the building of those walls. The text teaches us he will use intrigue or trickery, he will use innuendo to defame our good name, and he will use outright threats and intimidation or whatever other means he may well use in a diabolical attempt to cause us, either individually or corporately, to fall short of the completing of the wall. To fall short of the completing of the wall. Ah, but notice, and praise be to God for the fact that that brings us to the second key reality revealed in the words of our text, namely the reality of the power of prayer. The reality of the power of prayer. For example, look at verse 9 of our text with me if you would in Nehemiah chapter 6 verse 9. They were all trying to frighten us, thinking their hands will get too weak for the work and it will not be completed. And then we read, but I prayed, but I prayed. Now, if you have an NIV, as I do, those words are probably in a bracket. You can see a little bracket there. And the reason those words are bracketed is because they are not in the original Hebrew manuscripts. They were inserted by the translators to make it clear that this was in fact a prayer. And notice that the King James Version and the New American Standard Version do something similar. They put in the words, Oh God, but they're in italics, meaning they're not in the original text, but King James 2 and the NAS wanted to make sure we understood this was a prayer. And so we read correctly, but I prayed, now strengthen my hands. Now strengthen my hands. And then drop down to verse 14, similarly. He prays, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, oh my God. Now friends, you may recall in one of our earlier studies, we highlighted how critically important this word remember is throughout the book of Nehemiah. He uses it repeatedly. In fact, it's in the last verse of the last chapter of this entire book. There we read Nehemiah praying, remember me with favor, oh my God. And similarly here, he says again, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, oh my God. But boys and girls, young people, notice this. He's not praying for God to bless them. He is praying what theologians refer to as an imprecatory prayer. An imprecatory prayer is where the person, the child of God, prays down the righteous judgment of God upon the foes of the Lord himself and of his people. And this is kind of an imprecatory prayer. He's calling down God's judgment upon them. He says, remember Tobiah and Samballot, oh my God, because of what they have done. Remember also the prophetess Noadiah, Noadiah. Now, I had never come across that name before. And apparently, Nawadia was one of only four prophetesses mentioned in the Old Testament. And if you're taking notes, the others are Miriam, the sister of Moses, Exodus 15, verse 20. Exodus 15, verse 20, Miriam. Deborah is recorded in Judges 4, verse 4. She was a prophetess. Deborah, Judges 4, 4. And Huldah was the other one mentioned in 2 Kings 22, 14. Huldah, 2 Kings 22, 14. And the other only possible addition to the prophetesses would be Isaiah's wife, who's called a prophetess in Isaiah 8, verse 3. But many commentators believe that she's called a prophetess just because she's married to a prophet. It may not have been an official prophetess, but there are these other four anyway. And he said, because of what they had done, remember also the prophetess, Nawadia, and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me. And that is how Nehemiah prayed. Now, friends, think about the power and the potency, the passion of that prayer. In fact, let me ask you a question. Do the words, Make America Great Again, ring any bells with you? At the earlier service, nobody knew what I was talking about. Make America Great Again, if you know where I got that from, nod, smile, raise your hand, just let me know. Oh, what a more intelligent group. Don't, don't. Can we delete that? Nobody knew at the earlier service, nobody. Okay, Make America Great Again is the presidential campaign slogan of? Donald Trump, of Donald Trump. Okay, Make America Great Again. So last weekend, it's my birthday, and a longtime friend and member of our church had moved away. You don't see him too often anymore. He stops at my house, and he's got a present for me in a bag. It's his birthday, too, by the way. We have the same birthday. So he gives me this hat. Make America Great Again. But there's something else on the hat. Those in the front that can see it, what does it say? Pray. Make America great again. Pray. So he's wearing the hat, and he gives me this bag. I go, I got the hat, so I wear the hat. Make America great again. Pray. Pray. Friends, I say in all seriousness, even though we far too frequently fail in this regard, and I'm including myself first of all, there is nothing more important we could do. There is nothing more important we could do when it comes to the rebuilding of the walls of our marriages, of our homes, of our families, of our congregation, of our nation, or other walls within the worldwide church and kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, than to pray, and to pray, and to pray, and to pray. James says, we do not have because we do not ask. We do not have, and I think so many times we fall so far short of understanding the power of Almighty God through the person of His Holy Spirit in answer to our prayers. Do you understand that? Are you there with me? I am so convicted by this. I am really convicted by this. In fact, in Luke 18 verse 1 we read, then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. In 1 Thessalonians 5.17, the Apostle Paul proclaims, pray continually. In James 5.13, James writes, is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. And in 1 Peter 4, 7, the Apostle Peter pens the words, The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. So that you can pray. The power of prayer is the second key reality which we must own and implement as we strive toward the completing of the wall. As we strive toward the completing. of the wall. Well, friends, a third and final key reality revealed to us in the words of our text concerns the appointment of authorities, the appointment of authorities. For example, look at the first three verses of Nehemiah 7 with me, if you would. Here we read. After the wall had been rebuilt, and I had set the doors in place, he had said in chapter 6 verse 1, he hadn't yet set the doors, but now the doors have been set in place. The gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the citadel. Now notice this, because he was a man of integrity. If you've got your own Bible, underscore that word integrity. It's only used two times in the entire Old Testament in the original language. King James translates it faithful. It's a good translation. But it's only used here, and it's used in Exodus 18, verse 21, Exodus 18, 21, where Moses' father-in-law Jethro exhorts Moses to appoint Faithful men, trustworthy men to assist him in his task. Those are the only two places in the Old Testament that word is used. I appointed Hananiah the commander of the citadel because he was a man of integrity or a faithfulness of trustworthiness and feared God more than most men do. I said to them, the gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. That would help guarantee the safety of the city. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them, extra security. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses. As we saw in one of our previous studies, if you're guarding your own home and your own family, your fervency greatly increases. But friends, think about what he's doing here. Think about who he is appointing and the task to which he is appointing them. And is it not true that when it comes to our own homes and families, when it comes to the congregations of our Lord Jesus Christ, when it comes to our townships, our city, our state, our nation, is it not also true that the sacred scriptures tell us that God has ordained that we must recognize and respect the authorities which he has authorized? Isn't that true? For example, let's go to the book of Ephesians in the New Testament. If you want to just listen, that's okay. But otherwise, in Ephesians 6, verses 1 through 3, concerning the home, boys and girls, young people, listen. The Bible says, children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. It doesn't say when they are right. Many times we as parents make mistakes, and when we do, brothers and sisters, we need to apologize to our boys and girls, to our children, to our young people, and ask for their forgiveness. But it says, children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, that it may go well with you, and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. An establishment, an appointment of authority by God in the home. Let's flip over similarly to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, right before the Timothys. 1 Thessalonians 5 verses 12 and 13. Here Paul writes, Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord, and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. The appointment of authority in the church by God Himself. And then finally on this score, let's go to 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 2, again toward the end of the Bible, right before the epistles of John, Jude, Revelation. 1 Peter 2. 13-17, the Apostle Peter writes, Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone. Love the brotherhood of believers. Fear God. Honor the King. It begins in the home with the parents. It extends to the church with the office bearers. It goes out into the street with the police officer. It goes into school, young people, with the teacher. It goes to our elected officials. It goes to our governors. It goes to our Congress. It goes to our president. It goes to our courts. Remember, we must obey God rather than man, but ultimately these are authorities that were appointed by God and they deserve and are worthy of our respect and our recognition. Now friends, as we conclude this series, and by the way, I mentioned at the earlier service, so many of you were so kind and encouraging to me. You wanted this series to kind of go on for a long time in Nehemiah, go through the whole book. But I've preached from Nehemiah over the years and at the Watergate and all sorts of things, and I didn't wanna become redundant in any way. So we are gonna wrap it up today. I beg your indulgence on that. But as we do close, let's go to Nehemiah chapter 12, We're jumping ahead just a little bit. Nehemiah 12, verses 27 and following, where we find the dedication of this wall that has now been completed within 52 days. Nehemiah 12, 27 and following. I'm just going to read several select verses. Here we read first of all in verse 27 of Nehemiah 12, at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, The Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with music of cymbals, harps, and lyres. Verse 31, I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right toward the dung gate, verse 38. The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of the wall together with half of the people past the tower of the ovens to the broad wall over the gate of Ephraim. the Joshana Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. At the Gate of the Guard, they stopped. The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God. So did I, together with half the officials, as well as the priests." Verse 43. And on that day, they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away." And when we read that, we say, all thanks and praise be to God. What a celebration! What a dedication! What joy! What singing! To God be the glory. And so I've been prayerfully pondering this celebration of the dedication of the wall. And then something occurred to me. Friends, the Bible tells us that as great and glorious and grand as was that celebration of the dedication of the wall, that celebration pales in comparison to the celebration which each of God's children will enjoy one day When all of these different walls upon which you and I are working are subsumed or incorporated into the great wall of the holy city of the new Jerusalem of God, which the book of Revelation says will be coming down out of heaven. from God. Think of this. Revelation 21 verse 9 and following. Go there with me if you would as we close. Last book of the Bible. Almost the last chapter of the Bible. But Revelation chapter 21. Look with me if you would at verses 9 and following as I read several select verses. John is in exile on the island of Patmos for the cause of Christ. And here he has this glorious vision and he says, one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. And He carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper clear as crystal. It had a great high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, that is, of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Verse 18, "'The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold as pure as glass.'" Verse 22, "'I did not see a temple in this city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the lamp is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." Underscore that. But only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Think about that. My dear dear friend, therefore I ask you, by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, is your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life? Is your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life? And is mine. And also, and also, Are you and I being found faithful in engaging in the building of the walls of our homes, of our marriages and families, of our congregation, of our nation, and of other walls, as it were, within the worldwide church and kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Is your name written there? And are you working faithfully down here? Oh, my dear, dear friend, listen. If you are not yet in Christ. And or if you have not yet taken your position at the wall. Then before it's too late, I ask you, I urge you, I pray, I plead with you even in this hour to repent of your sins and to profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Do so today before it's too late. None of us knows if we're going to be here tomorrow. And then together, brothers and sisters, along with the worldwide church and kingdom of our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, let us today and every day be found faithful as we are earnestly, eagerly, diligently about the building of the wall. Until that great and glorious day when our Savior Jesus Christ Himself returns from heaven with all of His glory and in the power of the holy angels, and all of His people hear Jesus victoriously say, well done, well done, well done, well done. The wall is completed. Amen. Let's bow our heads and our hearts together in prayer. So the wall was completed on the 25th of Elul in 52 days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Oh, our ever faithful Heavenly Father, as we continue to recognize the reality of ongoing opposition, as we continue to recognize the reality of the power of prayer, and as we continue to recognize the reality of your appointment of authorities within the home and within the church and the state, we pray that individually and corporately You would give us good success in the building of our walls, as it were. Walls which will one day be subsumed in the completion of the great wall of that heavenly city, the holy city, the New Jerusalem of our God. Hear us, O faithful father, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.