A Mind to Work!

So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.   

Nehemiah 4:6

And it came to pass…

as the work progressed…

opposition arose…

Insulting. Scornful. Indignant…

the enemies of God began to mock…

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said…

What do these feeble Jews?

will they fortify themselves?

will they sacrifice?

will they make an end in a day?

will they revive the stones out of the heaps

of the rubbish which are burned?

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.   Nehemiah 4:1-3

And Nehemiah began to pray…

Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.  Nehemiah 4:4-5

And the people continued to build…

So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.   Nehemiah 4:6

But the enemies of God would not be silenced…

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth…  Nehemiah 4:7

And they conspired to prevent the work…

And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.   Nehemiah 4:8

Determined. Resolved. Focused…

Nehemiah prayed…

Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.   Nehemiah 4:9

And the situation grew worse…

because the work was great…

and their strength was diminished…

And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.   
Nehemiah 4:10

And the plot thickened against them…

And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.  
Nehemiah 4:11-12

So Nehemiah was moved to ACTION…

and set the battle in array…

Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.   Nehemiah 4:13-14

Their enemies were astonished…

And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.   Nehemiah 4:15

And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.  Nehemiah 6:16

And the work continued!

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.

They which builded on the wall,

and they that bare burdens,

with those that laded,

every one with one of his hands

wrought in the work,

and with the other

hand held a weapon.

For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. 

Nehemiah 4:16-18

And Nehemiah exhorted the people…

and encouraged them…

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.

In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet,

resort ye thither unto us:

our God shall fight for us.

So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears

from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

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 labour on the day.

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.  Nehemiah 4:19-23

Through their combined efforts…the wall was completed in just 52 days!

So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.  Nehemiah 6:15

As it was in the days of Nehemiah…

So it continues unto this day…

The walls lay in ruinous heaps…

for the corruption, sin and rebellion of the people.

The work is great and large…

there is MUCH rubbish to overcome.

The enemies of the Living God stand ready and alert…

to discourage, hinder and completely stop the work of God.

Our strength and numbers are small…

and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.

We must build with one hand…

and fight with the other.

So I put the question to you:

Do you have a mind to work?

If so…

Are you laboring to repair, restore and build up?

If not…

What exactly ARE you doing?

The Mighty God of Daniel!

…and there is no new thing under the sun.

~Ecclesiastes 1:9

In the age of the great Empires…

kings ruled vast expanses of the world…

and men hungered for power…

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.  Daniel 6:1-2

Among them…

was a man that feared the Living God…

Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.  Daniel 6:3

Because of this…

                he had many enemies…

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.  

Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.   Daniel 6:4-5

So, an evil conspiracy was formed…

with the express purpose…

of eliminating Daniel.

Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.

All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.   Daniel 6:6-9

Nevertheless…

having full knowledge of their wicked scheme…

Daniel was undeterred from his purpose…

Faithful. Steadfast. Unmoved.

Daniel hungered for GOD!

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Daniel 6:10

Even his enemies noticed…

his unwavering devotion…

Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.   Daniel 6:11

Thinking to have the advantage over him…

they immediately informed the king…

Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?

The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.   Daniel 6:12-13

This news greatly troubled the king.

Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.   Daniel 6:14

But Daniel’s enemies were ruthless…

and unmerciful…

Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.  Daniel 6:15

And the law…

was unchangeable…

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions.  Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.   Daniel 6:16-17

Uneasy.  Troubled. Grieved.

the king passed the night…

wide-eyed and restless.

Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.  Daniel 6:18

At the earliest possible moment…

the king arose to fetch Daniel…

Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel,

O Daniel, servant of the living God,

is thy God, whom thou servest continually,

able to deliver thee from the lions?

Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.

My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths,

that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him

innocency was found in me; and also before thee,

O king, have I done no hurt.

Then was the king exceeding glad for him,

and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den.

So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.   Daniel 6: 19-23

And Daniel’s accusers?

What became of them?

And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.   Daniel 6:24

And Daniel’s testimony spread…

over the face of the earth…

in the form of a decree…

Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth;

In the words Darius, king of the Medes:

Peace be multiplied unto you.  I make a decree,

That in every dominion of my kingdom

men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:

for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever,

and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed,

and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

He delivereth and rescueth,

and he worketh signs and wonders  in heaven and in earth,

who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Daniel 6:25-28

An intensely intriguing, true story…

that transcends the ages….

Power- hungry, political schemers.   Insidious, deceptive laws.  Conspiracy.

One God-fearing man….

faithful and steadfast…

amidst the rising tide of evil.

Enter: The Mighty God of Daniel.

Mighty to deliver.

Mighty to save.

Mighty to transform any situation…

For HIS glory!

Do you KNOW Him?