I doubt most people have ever thought of Nehemiah as a tough guy. I know I haven't. To be honest, most people don't think about Nehemiah. He's the guy from the Bible. He organized the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem.
I think most people, if they think of him, imagine some small-ish guy leading a less-prideful Israel. A lot of this may be due to the children's song about Knee-High-Miah. That's unfair. I'll give you a few reasons why I think Nehemiah was like his generation's Mark Driscoll, but without grabbing headlines.
1. He's a leader. Think less Ross Perot and more Arnold Schwarzenegger. This guy was leading reform and knew how to get it done. When he talked, people listened.
2. He helped rebuild a wall. He's a construction worker. Ever walked past a construction site and seen that 98-pound kid you knew from middle school? If it's the same kid, he's not 98 pounds. Or if he is, you just walked past a Lego construction site, which is not the image we're going for here.
3. His threats were like those of Chuck Norris. Simple, straight-forward and effective. In Nehemiah 13:19-22, we find Nehemiah (aka, the Middle East Menace) setting up guards at the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem. When he finds out some of his enemies are showing up and trying to cause problems, he tells them, "If you do this again, I will lay hands on you."
The very next verse tells us those bad guys stopped coming around. Either Nehemiah was well known for not washing his hands or he was the scariest guy in Jerusalem. This is no pastor offering to lay hands on the sick. This is Nehemiah informing the enemy that he'll make sure there are no next of kin for these guys. He is the law around these parts. This is Nehemiah doing his best impression of Clint Eastwood, 'Go ahead, make my day.'
So go ahead, talk about Samson killing Philistines with a donkey's jawbone. Tell me stories of David killing Goliath. I'll tell you about the guy I never want to cross in the shadows of the Temple. He will lay hands on you.
I think most people, if they think of him, imagine some small-ish guy leading a less-prideful Israel. A lot of this may be due to the children's song about Knee-High-Miah. That's unfair. I'll give you a few reasons why I think Nehemiah was like his generation's Mark Driscoll, but without grabbing headlines.
1. He's a leader. Think less Ross Perot and more Arnold Schwarzenegger. This guy was leading reform and knew how to get it done. When he talked, people listened.
2. He helped rebuild a wall. He's a construction worker. Ever walked past a construction site and seen that 98-pound kid you knew from middle school? If it's the same kid, he's not 98 pounds. Or if he is, you just walked past a Lego construction site, which is not the image we're going for here.
3. His threats were like those of Chuck Norris. Simple, straight-forward and effective. In Nehemiah 13:19-22, we find Nehemiah (aka, the Middle East Menace) setting up guards at the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem. When he finds out some of his enemies are showing up and trying to cause problems, he tells them, "If you do this again, I will lay hands on you."
The very next verse tells us those bad guys stopped coming around. Either Nehemiah was well known for not washing his hands or he was the scariest guy in Jerusalem. This is no pastor offering to lay hands on the sick. This is Nehemiah informing the enemy that he'll make sure there are no next of kin for these guys. He is the law around these parts. This is Nehemiah doing his best impression of Clint Eastwood, 'Go ahead, make my day.'
So go ahead, talk about Samson killing Philistines with a donkey's jawbone. Tell me stories of David killing Goliath. I'll tell you about the guy I never want to cross in the shadows of the Temple. He will lay hands on you.
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And, not only was he a tough guy, but he wasn't afraid to "weep." (Nehemiah 1:4)