Mending Fences

Nehemiah 2:11-18

I was reading a poem by one of my favorite poets Robert Frost titled Mending Wall. It is about two neighbors who meet at the beginning of every spring to fix a stone wall fence that has fallen down in various places due to the swelling of the cold ground or hunters and their dogs chasing rabbits. Frost would ask why is such a wall needed to begin with? The answer from the neighbor "Good fences make good neighbors."

G K Chesterton said "Before you tear down a fence you might want to consider why it was built in the first place." In a time where equality is being promoted, people don't like the idea of walls and boundaries and this spirit has made its way into our churches. Rules, regulations, and guidelines are necessary and to those who acknowledge and keep them, it brings a border between themselves and those who do not wish to observe them.

That's why Nehemiah was heartbroken to hear that the walls of Jerusalem had fallen and was moved by God's spirit to go at once and rebuild them. When he arrived and surveyed the damage he said "you see the distress we are in...come and let us build again the walls of Jerusalem!" Walls were important to God's people in the ancient days and are as equally important to us today. You see walls do two things:

Protect and Preserve

They protect from any enemy that might seek to destroy the inhabitants of the city. The walls were a stronghold and a defense against even the most fiercest and formidable foe. Watchmen would be set on the walls to be on the lookout for an approaching army and when one was seen approaching, trumpets would be blown and the people would know when and what to do to arm and prepare themselves for battle. One thing they knew for sure was they were protected. But also they as a people would be preserved. The had laws that governed them and the observance of those laws guaranteed their long life and preservation. In essence to what we learn from in the bible about God's people in the time Jerusalem had fallen is that the walls are only as strong as their attitude towards God and His law. Walls protect and laws preserve! They put more trust in the walls instead of the laws and it brought their downfall and ruin. What we learn is behind every physical wall there is a spiritual wall as well. Paul said God’s law is spiritual and when God’s spiritual wall is removed then the all others follow suit.

So what did he do to build up the wall again?

First he used the same stones. They polished them up and set them back in place. Today church leaders are trying new ways, new ideas, new music, new worship, and unfortunately new doctrine to build back up the church again. Revival does not come by going forward on new roads but by going back to the old paths.

Second, he had Everyman build in front of his own home. Before we can expect another to fix his fence we must first repair ours. Revival begins at home first, not the church.

Third once the walls were built they read aloud the book of the law which lead them into prayer and repentance. If a nation is to be protected and preserved it must be built on the foundation of the Bible.

Proverbs 22:28 says "Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set." I can imagine that if some of our framers could see us today they would be like Nehemiah, broken and downhearted by the distress we are in. They would say to you and I "come and let us build again the walls of America." I agree whole heartedly! But it doesn't start in Washington. It starts at your house and mine.

Yes good fences make good neighbors. We need to make sure we are in good standing with God before we can be in good standing with one another.

Pastor Robby