Imagery in Scripture – God’s Ears

(Note: This is the final article in a four-part series. I invite you to read my introduction, where I shared what I discovered in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Click here for the previous article I wrote on God’s eyes.)

The psalmist writes, “Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?” (Ps. 94:9).

This rhetorical question has one obvious answer. Yes, the God who created human ears does hear, although He does not have physical ears. He sees, as well, without having literal eyes. These are literary devices to reveal that God gets directly involved with His people. He is with us. His hands act on our behalf, His mouth speaks truth to us, His eyes see our needs, and His ears hear our prayers.

As we take one last look at a body part that God possesses in a figurative sense, may I remind you that our ears have limitations. We don’t hear high or low frequencies. Some of us have ringing in our ears or hearing loss which causes us to ask people to repeat themselves. We can’t sort through competing sounds and noises and we can’t hear the unspoken words from a person’s downcast heart.

On the other hand, it should be fairly obvious to all who know God personally through faith in Jesus Christ that God’s ears have no limitations. They are far superior to ours. He hears all that He needs to hear all of the time. He can hear words long before we speak them and words that we would never speak.

In this article, I will share my observations about God’s ears from Ezra and Nehemiah. I will discuss a few other Scriptures concerning God’s ears so that we can know Him better. Lastly, I will ask my readers to consider what they can do with their own ears in response to what they know about God’s ears.

God’s ears in Ezra

At first glance, I did not find any direct references to God’s ears. However, after a second look, I discovered that God’s people actively worshiped and prayed to their God who they believed was clearly able to hear.

As the Israelites rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem, there was an effort to follow the instructions for worship given by King David. (See 1 Chron. 6:31-32.) After the foundation was laid, there were priests with trumpets and Levites with cymbals who “took their places to praise the Lord” in song (Ezra 3:10-11). They sang, “He is good; his love to Israel endures forever.” Among the exiles who returned from captivity were 128 singers (Ezra 2:41). God’s people must have believed that God had the ability to hear the music that was played and sung for Him.

The Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary indicates that “trumpets were always blown by priests. . . They were most often used on joyous occasions such as here and at the dedication of the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem (Neh. 12:25).”

We see several references to prayer in this book as well. King Darius issued a degree where he pledged his financial support for the project. He knew that it was in his best interest, “so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons” (Ezra 6:10). Later, Ezra offers a long prayer of genuine confession of the sins of God’s people (Ezra 9:5-15).

God’s ears in Nehemiah

I mentioned in my last article in this series on God’s eyes that Nehemiah began his prayer with a petition that the Lord’s ears would be “attentive” and that His eyes would be “open to hear” his prayer on behalf of  God’s people (Neh. 1:6). Nehemiah believed God could see the disgraceful condition of the walls around Jerusalem and would hear his words as he poured out his heart. He echoes this plea at the end of the prayer: “O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name” (Neh. 1:11).

After the wall is completed, we see the Israelites gathering to fast and pray. They listened to the reading of the Law for several hours, and then spent an equal amount of time confessing their sins. In a wonderful summary of how God created the heavens, made a covenant with Abram, and delivered His people from Egypt, they acknowledged that God saw their bondage and “heard their cry” (Neh. 9:9).

At the end of this long prayer, they recalled how the Israelites rebelled in the wilderness. They remembered that God handed them over to their enemies. In their oppression, they cried out to God. He “heard them” and rescued them. However, they took God for granted and disobeyed again. But God, in His mercy heard them when they cried out to God. They did this again and again (Neh. 9:26-28).

God’s ears throughout the Bible

Psalm 5:1-3 immediately comes to mind, in the form of a praise hymn. The psalmist wrote: “Give ear to my words, O Lord. Consider my meditation. Harken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God. For unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning” (KJV). (Click here to watch and listen to a video of this song from one of the Maranatha Praise albums from way back when.)

My wife reminded me of a verse found in Isa. 65:24 that has a personal meaning to her. Yahweh declares, “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” This promise teaches us that even before we utter a word, God has already prepared an answer. What we learn from this passage is that God is always one step ahead of us. He knows what we need way before we have taken the time, found the courage, and put the right words together to lift up our need.

In the Gospels, I found an interesting verse. A blind man that Jesus had just healed said in John 9:31, “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.” It was a common teaching at the time in the Jewish faith that God only hears and responds to the prayers of His faithful ones. The only prayer God would answer from an unbeliever would be one of repentance.

How should we respond to God’s ears?

Because God listened to the prayers of His people, they listened to His word. We see this in Neh. 8:3, when Ezra reads the Law on the first day of the month. “He read it aloud from daybreak till noon . . . And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.” We see it again the very next day (Neh. 8:13) and also on the twenty-fourth day of the same month (Neh. 9:1-3). This attitude of humility was in contrast to what their forefathers had done, which was to refuse to listen (Neh. 9:17).

This same response is appropriate for us. Jesus said, “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.” (John 8:47). God’s people listen to Him. In John 10:27. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.” Jesus’s sheep are ones who trust the Shepherd and actively listen to His voice so that they do not go astray.

Moreover, the natural response by a believer to knowing that God actively listens to the prayers of His people is for us to pray. If we believe God is listening, how can we not lift up our voices? Just like our response to the words coming from God’s mouth through the Bible is to listen to Him speak, our right response to God’s ability and desire to hear us is for us to speak with Him.

As I referenced musical instruments and singing earlier, I could not help but recall that believers are called to praise and worship through song. Psalm 96:1 declares, “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” Singing our praises to the Lord, which involves our heart, soul, mind, and strength, is a great way for us to express our love to God, which Jesus taught was the greatest commandment.

Final thoughts

For those who have joined me in this deeper study of some of the attributes of God, I applaud you for sticking with it as I have posted these articles since late January. I trust that these insights that I observed were helpful in your pursuit of drawing near to God the Father. This lifelong endeavor is what Jesus envisioned, as He paid the penalty for our sins on the cross so that we could be reconciled to God.

I encourage you to continue to pop in and out of both the Old and New Testaments to discover the treasures that you will find as the Holy Spirit teaches you about God the Father and God the Son on every page.

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 43 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a Master of Arts in biblical studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is passionate about helping his brothers and sisters in Christ with ordinary jobs understand that their work matters to God and that they can experience His presence at work every day. He has written more than 320 articles on a variety of faith and work and other topics; many of them have been published or posted on Christian organization’s websites, including the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine.

Imagery in Scripture – God’s Eyes

(Note: This is the third article in a four-part series. I invite you to read my introduction, where I shared what I discovered in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Click here for the previous article I wrote on God’s mouth.)

I want to take a different approach from what I took in my previous two articles in this series. With God’s hands, there did not seem to be major differences between His hands and ours, other that perhaps His are bigger. The word picture or literary device of assigning a human body part to God the Father (who does not have a literal body) merely extended our understanding of what human hands do to what is revealed in Scripture that God does for His people. The article on God’s mouth took a similar approach. However, when I reflect on God’s eyes, there seems to be some obvious distinctions between what His eyes can do and what ours can do.

Human eyes have many limitations. We can only see clearly in one direction at a time. We have peripheral vision, but it’s always out of focus. We see a little bit to the right and left, as well as up and down, beyond what we can focus on in front of us. We can sense movements, which usually causes us to turn our head in that direction to look more intently at the stimulus. We cannot see behind us or outside of our normal range of vision. We cannot see long distances; that requires a telescope. We cannot see objects too small for the naked eye; that requires a microscope.

Another shortcoming considers light levels. We can see in daylight, but we cannot see in pitch black conditions. Also, we cannot see through solid objects. We cannot see what is in someone’s head or heart. Some of us need glasses with trifocals to see clearly. We can be temporarily blinded when a foreign object like dust blows into our eyes. Other limitations come to mind. We miss things. Our eyes can get tired, bloodshot, infected, tear-filled, blink, and are closed for hours at a time every night when we sleep. We cannot see everything, everywhere, all of the time.

In contrast, God’s eyes have no limitations. He sees everything, everywhere, all the time. Psalm 139:1-6 informs us that God knows what we do, think, and say because He sees us. King David writes, “O Lord, you have searched for me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar . . . Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.” He sees the far reaches of the universe at the macro level and every detail at the microscopic level because He made it all. He sees through the darkness. (See Ps. 139:12.) He knows our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts. God’s eyes do not get tired, blink, or close at night.

As I have done before, I will share my observations about God’s eyes from Ezra and Nehemiah. I will discuss a few other Scriptures where more is seen about the eyes of God so that we can know Him better. Lastly, I will ask my readers to consider how to respond to what they know about God’s eyes.

God’s eyes in Ezra

As I listed the verses I noticed that mentioned God’s body parts and man’s response with those same body parts into a chart that I hastily drew in the lower half of the last page of the book of Ezra, I found only one verse that directly referred to God’s eyes. I was somewhat disappointed in that result, as the other cells in my chart were full of references. The one verse I did find does intrigue me still. Let me unpack what is written and what is later implied in this book.

In Ezra chapter 5, we see that Jews begin rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. the Jews encountered opposition from outsiders. Their intent was to stop this project. Ezra reports that “the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews,” and thus their work continued (Ezra 5:5). This brief observation using the literary device of anthropomorphism reveals to us much about the character of God. He is always present and is always watching His people. (See Ps. 139.) He will act on what He sees. Because He is watching and acting on our behalf when we are about His business, we can rest assured that He will provide for us and protect us when we need it.

Although I did not find any other verses that specifically mentioned God’s eyes, what God saw, etc., the many references to God’s hand that I discussed in the first article in this series seem to imply that God had to have seen what His people needed before He acted with His hand of protection and providence.

God’s eyes in Nehemiah

I only found two references to God’s eyes in the book of Nehemiah. However, what I lacked in quantity was made up for in quality. These verses were even more intriguing than the one I just discussed in Ezra.

Nehemiah gives us a great eye-witness account of the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem. After he is made aware of the condition of the wall, Nehemiah prayed. His beautiful expression of praise and thanksgiving, confession of sin, and supplication for success in the work which he and his people will attempt grabs the readers’ interest. Nehemiah asks God to “Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying” (Neh. 1:6). I have to wonder, Why did Nehemiah ask the LORD to keep his eyes open in addition to His ears?

The Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary sheds a little light on this verse. They indicate: “Nehemiah asked God to look at him and listen to him as he prayed. These words were designed to encourage the one praying, for God does not turn His ears from or close His eyes to His people (Exo. 2:23-25).” The prophet echoed back to God what he knew about His attributes. The verse referred to comes out of the Israelites groaning from their long period of slavery in Egypt. We read in v. 24 that “God heard”, and in v. 25 we read that “God looked”. The understanding that Yahweh heard the prayers and looked out for the welfare of the Israelites implied that He still does those things.

God’s eyes throughout the Bible

In addition to Ps. 139, there are several other references throughout the OT and NT where what God sees is mentioned. The term “eyes of the Lord” are found in 146 places. Here are just a few:

• “It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end” (Deut. 11:12)

• “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (Judges 2:11, 3:7, 3:12, 4:1, 6:1, 10:6, and 13:1)

• “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him” (2 Chron. 16:9)

How should my eyes respond to God’s eyes?

When I reflect on what God did with His divine eyes, three appropriate human responses come to my mind: we are to consistently seek the Lord, confess our sins, and minister to those who are truly suffering.

Knowing that God watched over His people, the Israelites diligently sought after Him through forsaking unclean practices and celebrating the Passover (Ezra 6:21), and later, the public reading of Scripture, worship, and prayer (Neh. 8:1-3). God relentlessly pursued a relationship with me out of His lovingkindness; the least I can do is to make every effort to pursue my relationship with Him.

Knowing that God can see through my facade to read my fleshly thoughts, words, and desires should cause me to respond in confession of my sin. Many of those things that God sees in me just don’t belong there.

Knowing that God sees the suffering of people He loves should cause me to pray for them and look for opportunities to minister to those that usually make us uncomfortable: the lost, the last, and the least of these.

I trust that this study opened your eyes to the truths that God sees everything, which is why He is all-knowing. This brings comfort when we need it, but it brings correction and confession when we need that as well.

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 43 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a Master of Arts in biblical studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is passionate about helping his brothers and sisters in Christ with ordinary jobs understand that their work matters to God and that they can experience His presence at work every day. He has written more than 320 articles on a variety of faith and work and other topics; many of them have been published or posted on Christian organization’s websites, including the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine.

Imagery in Scripture – God’s Mouth

(Note: This is the second article in a four-part series. I invite you to read my introduction, where I shared what I discovered in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Click here for the first article I wrote on God’s hands.)

What comes to your mind when you imagine God’s mouth?

Does it have a white beard around it and perfect teeth? Do you hear God’s booming voice? I am hoping you would think about God’s capacity to speak. He certainly does not do so with a literal mouth, but figuratively.

When Scripture refers to something that God said, it is merely a literary device to help us see that God is not silent. He has always spoken to His chosen people through His word and through His prophets. He still speaks.

The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology informs us that one of the Hebrew words used for mouth, which is translated “word” in the Bible when referring to divine communication points to “the source of the declarations as coming directly from God himself. . . As the expression of his being and character, the word of the Lord is the supreme means by which God makes himself known to his creatures.”

I will begin with Ezra and Nehemiah and share my observations about God’s words. Next, I will discuss man’s mouth, and how they relate to one another. I will list a few other Scriptures where more is revealed about the mouth of God (in a figurative sense) so that we can know Him better. Lastly, I will ask my readers to consider what to do with their own mouths in response to what they know about God’s.

God’s mouth speaks in Ezra

Although we may not see this body part mentioned specifically in Ezra, like we did with God’s hands and like we will as we unpack references to God’s eyes and ears, we do see what God’s mouth does. In several places, we read that God gave His words that were spoken and/or written through Jeremiah in Ezra  1:1, Moses in Ezra 3:2, David in Ezra 3:10, and the prophets Haggai and Zechariah in Ezra 5:1.

In Ezra 6:18, we see that as the temple was dedicated, the Jewish leaders installed the priests “according to what is written in the Book of Moses.” This reference to one book is actually the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Pentateuch. This same source was referred to in Ezra 3:2 as “the Law of Moses,” which is interesting because it was God’s Law. God gave it; Moses wrote it down.

I want to call attention to the attitude of humility towards God’s Law that was exhibited by King Artaxerxes in a letter he wrote to Ezra the priest expressing his support to the rebuilding of the temple. He wrote, “Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and of his sons?” (Ezra 7:23).

God had put this pagan king of Persia at just the right time and place for His glory. He understood God’s authority was above his own. He knew enough about God to know there would be both short and long-term consequences for lack of obedience to God’s specific instructions about temple worship.

God’s mouth leads in Nehemiah

In the sequel to the book of Ezra, we see that Nehemiah also makes reference to God’s mouth.

There is a moment when Nehemiah goes out at night to inspect Jerusalem’s walls. He casually mentions that he “had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem” (Neh. 2:12). God spoke to Nehemiah’s heart, giving him a vision to take charge of repairing the walls around God’s city.

Nehemiah encourages the rebuilding team by reminding them that God’s hand was with them. He says in Neh. 2:18, “I also toldthem about the gracious hand of my God upon me.” Nehemiah boldly proclaims, “The God of heaven will give us success” (Neh. 2:20). This knowledge of God’s omnipresence during the long days and opposition from their enemies is based on God’s own revelation of His divine attributes, which was highlighted in Ps. 139:7-12 and other places in the Scriptures.

Man’s mouth teaches, prays, and leads in response

As Ezra arrives in Jerusalem, he is referred to as “a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses (Ezra 7:6). We read in v. 10 that “Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” He took this job seriously. His calling was to take the promises, commands, and narratives in God’s word and enable God’s people to understand and obey them. God gifted Ezra, and countless other teachers, to use their mouth to glorify God.

When Nehemiah hears of the broken condition of the wall around Jerusalem, he sat down and wept. He prayed in response. He acknowledges God’s character, as revealed in the OT Scriptures: “the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands” (Neh. 1:5). He fervently prays that God would hear “the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel” and confesses the sins that he and the Israelites had committed against God degrees and laws (Neh. 6-7). When his team were insulted, Nehemiah prays that God would destroy their enemies (Neh. 4:4-5).

Not only did Nehemiah pray regularly for the work and for his teammates, but he also used his mouth to lead the rebuilding project in response to God’s vision. To be prepared against the many threats from those opposing the work, Nehemiah took charge, posted guards 24/7 (Neh. 4:9), and directed a detailed defense plan (v. 13). He rallied the troops to fight and reminded them of God’s promises (v. 14).

Lastly, God’s word, spoken by the prophets led to shouts of praise. After the wall was rebuilt, we see the Israelites gathered to hear Ezra read “the Book of the Law of Moses” (Neh. 8:1). He read it aloud and “all the people listened attentively” (v. 3). Ezra praised the Lord, and the people worshiped the Lord (v. 6).

God’s mouth throughout the Bible

The first book of the Bible highlights God’s mouth. We read in Gen. 1:3, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” God created everything by using His mouth and speaking it all into existence.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Jesus’ connection to this topic and His part in the creation narrative mentioned above.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made” (John 1:1-3). John continues, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Jesus’s pre-incarnate involvement in creation is a mystery. By John calling Jesus “the Word,” we get the impression that God’s voice, which was rarely audible was now going to speak to His followers face-to-face.

How should my mouth respond to God’s mouth?

Like these two prophets, we need to read, listen, and respond appropriately to God’s holy word as revealed in both the Old and New Testaments. As followers of Christ, committed to walking with God, and being filled with His Holy Spirit, we cannot hear God’s voice to us personally without reading and applying His word regularly. We need to grow in our understanding of His truths to guide us.

For those of us who have the spiritual gift of teaching, we need to dive in to the word of God a bit deeper than most. If we are gifted to preach God’s truth or share the gospel with unbelievers, we should do so with a holy boldness. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God” (1 Peter 4:10-11).

I trust that this in-depth look at how God speaks to His people encourage you to seek His face.

(Note: I invite you to read the next article in this series here.)

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 43 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a Master of Arts in biblical studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is passionate about helping his brothers and sisters in Christ with ordinary jobs understand that their work matters to God and that they can experience His presence at work every day. He has written more than 320 articles on a variety of faith and work and other topics; many of them have been published or posted on Christian organization’s websites, including the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine.

Imagery in Scripture – God’s Hands

(Note: This is the first article in a four-part series. I encourage you to read my introduction here.)

What do you think of when you read something in the Bible about God’s hands?

Do you picture extra-large hands? Are they old and wrinkled? Do you picture God’s angry fist, ready to smash sinners in one powerful slam? Or, do you imagine the Father’s gentle hands of protection, generosity, and blessing?

I am hoping that you have chosen the last thing I listed above. But don’t take my word for it. Let’s explore this topic together.

I will start with Ezra and Nehemiah to highlight what we learn about God’s hands. Next, I will share what I see regarding man’s hands, and how they relate to one another. I will share other Scriptures where more is revealed about the hands of God (in a figurative sense) so that we can know Him better. Lastly, I will ask my readers to consider what to do with their own hands in response to what they know about God’s hands.

God’s hands of blessing in Ezra

The hand of God has often been portrayed as vengeful, but these verses painted a different picture of God’s blessings towards Ezra.

In Ezra chapter 7, I noticed three references to God’s hand in close proximity. The narrator of the story states that “The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him” (Ezra 7:6); “the gracious hand of his God was on him” (Ezra 7:9); and “the hand of the Lord my God was on me” (Ezra 7:28).

I also saw this same word picture used in Ezra 8:18 and 22. God’s protection from enemies is what is intended in Ezra 8:31.

God’s hands of protection in Nehemiah

When Nehemiah asks the king for permission to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. He concludes, “because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests” (Neh. 2:8). As he shares his plan, he restates that God’s gracious hand was upon him, which would grant them success in their work (Neh. 2:18).

Nehemiah knew God’s hands were gracious to His people. He also knew God would fight those who resisted them (Neh. 4:20). Nehemiah, like Ezra and many others before them who saw God’s hands defeat His enemies as the Israelites entered into the Promised Land, understood the power of God’s hands of protection.

Man’s hands respond in service and praise

I love the connection between God’s hands and man’s hands that Ezra and Nehemiah describe.

In the same chapter where we saw God’s hands mentioned three times, we read a letter to Ezra the priest, written by King Artaxerxes. He gave his permission for the priests and Levites who wanted to go with Ezra to Jerusalem. He mentions the Law, which is in your hand” (Ezra 7:14). This Law, which was alluded to in Ezra 7:11, contained “the commands and degrees of the Lord for Israel.” The king seems to acknowledge that these Jewish leaders had possession of the Law and were entrusted with it. (See Rom. 3:1-2.)

As we move to Nehemiah, we see man’s hands respond to God’s hands of protection by serving and working to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. This manual labor, done by hand is implied in Neh. 2:16-17. (This book well illustrates the connection between God’s presence and man’s work, which I like to call Immanual labor).

In chapters 3 and 4, we see a snapshot of the work to rebuild the wall and defend the workers against their enemies. Half the men worked on the wall, “while the other half held spears, shields, bows and armor” (Neh. 4:16). In v. 17, we read, “Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other.”

In Neh. 6:9, we read about those who opposed the work. They thought that the Israelites’ hands would get tired, and be too weak to finish the work. In response, Nehemiah prayed to Yahweh, “Now strengthen my hands.” Later, after the work was completed, Ezra praised the Lord, “and all the people lifted their hands” (Neh. 8:6).

After observing all of these things, I came to the conclusion that God’s hand of protection enabled man’s hands to do His work.

God’s hands throughout the Bible

The Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary indicates, “The expression ‘hand of God’ refers to His great power (Deut. 2:15; Ezek. 1:3). Often the emphasis of this expression is on God’s power in creation (Ps 8:6; Is. 64:8). Sometimes His power in judgment is emphasized, especially in the phrase, ‘His hand is outstretched” (Ruth 1:13; Is. 9:12, 17) However, God may also extend His hand to express His mercy and forgiveness (Ps 37:24).”

There are over 160 references to “hand of God”. It would be fun to check these out. However, there is one verse I want to zero in on.

We read in 1 Peter 5:6, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” This is actually a double reference to God’s hands. Did you catch it? We are exhorted to humble ourselves under God’s hand, so that as a result, God would lift us up to bless us with this same hand. The opposite is also true. If we fail to humble ourselves, we can’t expect God to lift us up.  

How should our hands respond to God’s hands?

Three things come to mind when I consider what should be our natural response to God’s hand of protection, blessing, and mercy:

• Hands lifted in praise – I am not referring to a style of worship that we may or may not be comfortable with; I am referring to lifting our hands in surrender to God to acknowledge His control of our lives (Ps. 28:2)

• Clean hands – I need to live out my sanctification by pursuing holiness; this will lead to a more consistent experience of enjoying God’s presence (Ps. 24:3-4)

• Hands that serve others – Like the Good Samaritan, I need to sacrificially meet the needs of those in my path and reach out to the least, the lost, and the last (Luke 10:25-37)

Final thoughts

Some of you may be thinking, “Where is the so what?”

What I want my brothers and sisters in Christ to take away from this series on the imagery in the OT that assigns human-like characteristics to God is to better understand the attributes of God the Father. Many Christians seem to relate to Jesus more than they do the God that Jesus pointed to. I find this to be a tragic misunderstanding. Jesus did not come to replace the Father; He came to reveal God to us and reconcile us to Him.

Consider this. If you know Jesus better than you know God the Father, you have missed something significant. If you think you know God, but do not know Jesus, you cannot take God’s hand without coming to faith in Christ first. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

I must close with one more verse about God’s hands. They hold His children securely unto eternal life. Jesus said in John 10:28-29, “no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” This is a promise we can definitely count on.

(Note: I invite you to read the next article in this series here.)

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 43 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a Master of Arts in biblical studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is passionate about helping his brothers and sisters in Christ with ordinary jobs understand that their work matters to God and that they can experience His presence at work every day. He has written 230 articles on a variety of faith and work topics; 60% of these have been published or posted over 270 times on several Christian organization’s websites, including the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine.

Biblical Imagery in Ezra and Nehemiah

A few years ago, I read through the book of Ezra. I had read it before, but hadn’t really studied it, so I meditated on it with great interest and focus.

What I found there was a gold mine of literary devices that fall into the category of imagery: a word picture that evokes a specific meaning. These images are examples of anthropomorphism, where an author assigns human characteristics to something not human, i.e., an animal, object, or in this case a triune deity.

Let me provide a long overdue introduction to a four-part study on the imagery that I found in these two OT books.

God’s hands

In Ezra chapter 7, I noticed three references to God’s hands in close proximity. The narrator of the story states that “The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him” (Ezra 7:6); “the gracious hand of his God was on him” (Ezra 7:9); and “the hand of the Lord my God was on me” (Ezra 7:28). Each verse painted a picture of God’s blessing that Ezra experienced. 

The hand of God has often been portrayed as vengeful, but clearly not in this context. I also saw this same word picture used in Ezra 8:18 and 22. God’s protection from enemies is the meaning that is intended in Ezra 8:31.

God’s mouth and eyes

As I meditated on this book, I had to go back to the beginning to see what I missed. I noticed much use of imagery that I had overlooked. Other body parts were used (or implied) to describe what God did among His people. 

For example, God’s mouth which gave words that were spoken through Jeremiah in Ezra  1:1, Moses in Ezra 3:2, David in Ezra 3:10, and the prophets Haggai and Zechariah in Ezra 5:1. I also caught something about the eye of God, who watched over the Jews, which was mentioned in Ezra 5:5. This use of imagery described God’s protection as the Jewish elders went about rebuilding the temple.

More Imagery in Nehemiah

When I began to read Nehemiah, I saw more references to God’s body parts, which also included his ears. These images seemed to highlight God’s divine attribute of immanence (God’s direct involvement in the life of man). This is in contrast to His attribute of transcendence, which focuses on Him being separate from us. (Note: I invite you to read an article I wrote and posted on my blog about these two attributes of God here.)

When Nehemiah asks the king for permission to help rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. He concludes, “because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests” (Neh. 2:8). As he introduces his plan to the priests and the others who would be doing the rebuilding, he restates that God’s gracious hand was upon him, which would grant them success in their work (Neh. 2:18).

Furthermore, I observed in both books that there were several corresponding references to man’s hands, mouth, eyes, ears, and heart, in contrast to God’s body parts. I was excited to discover a purpose in this. Take hands, for example. I sensed that God’s hands of protection enabled man’s hands to do God’s work.

Our God is better than idols

I have to add a comment at this point about the contrast between Yahweh and the idols that were prevalent in the Old Testament. Psalm 115:5-7 describes these man-made idols: “They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats.”

The psalmist is pointing out the futility of these idols. They have no real power. They cannot compare with the God the Israelites have. Although Yahweh does not physically have a mouth, eyes, ears, hands, or feet, as He is not flesh and blood, He certainly speaks, sees, hears, touches, and walks with His people.

Application

So, what does all of this mean for believers today? What are we to do with this knowledge about these attributes of God?

Here are some basic truths that pop out of these passages that can help us to know, believe, and obey the God who has revealed Himself to us in Scripture and in the person of Jesus Christ:

• God always initiates interaction with His people; he sees, hears, and protects us
• God expects us to respond to Him accordingly in love and obedience
• In the OT, we see God revealed in forms and shadows; in the NT, we see God in the flesh in Jesus

I invite you to join me as I explore in more depth the hands, mouth, eyes, and ears of God from these Old Testament books.

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 43 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a Master of Arts in biblical studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is passionate about helping his brothers and sisters in Christ with ordinary jobs to understand that their work matters to God and that they can experience His presence at work every day. He has written over 220 articles on a variety of faith and work topics; 60% of these have been published or posted 270 times on several Christian organization’s websites, including the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine.

Further Observations on Work from Nehemiah

(Note: This article was published on The Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog and was posted on the Coram Deo blog. As a result, I was contacted by Moody Radio for an interview. You can listen to it here.)

I listened to the book of Nehemiah on the way to and from the town my wife and I recently moved from. I heard several things that grabbed my heart in this great story that highlights the connection between God’s presence and human work, which I call Immanuel labor. Let me summarize some new insights that will supplement what I wrote in a previous article on my blog and in my book.

Here are the topics I will discuss below:

• Nehemiah was a spiritual leader, even though he was not in full-time ministry
• Nehemiah was a man of prayer
• God led Nehemiah to lead this great restoration project by putting ideas in his heart

Spiritual leadership at work

In the first chapter of this book, we meet Nehemiah. We don’t know anything about him. We are told in verse 1 that this book is in his own words. Right away, in verse 2, we see his leadership in action.

He asks his brother and some men about the Jewish remnant that returned to Jerusalem from their long exile. He learns that “those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace” (Neh. 1:3). The wall around the city and its gates were completely destroyed.

This devastating situation affected Nehemiah deeply, who reports that he “sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed” (Neh. 1:4). His heart was broken, which began to move him in the direction that Yahweh called him to get directly involved in repairing the broken wall.

This spiritual leader who God was working in to prepare him for this great work was an ordinary worker. The fact that Nehemiah is the cupbearer to the king was left to the end of the first chapter to set up the narrative by showing that it would be God’s power that was going to get this job done.

As this story develops over the next few chapters of this great book, we will see God begin to use this ordinary man as His co-worker to lead the Israelites to complete this project under His mighty hand. The team will stay focused on the task as long as Nehemiah stays focused on God, which he does.

Supplication and praise

As was mentioned above, one of Nehemiah’s first responses to hearing the news of the wall was to pray (Neh. 1:4-11). Nehemiah illustrated his spiritual leadership primarily by being a man of prayer. This first of several prayers that we will read starts with praise for God’s covenant love, then leads to confession of personal and national sins, followed by supplication asking for favor from the King. We see a variety of prayers offered by Nehemiah listed in Neh. 2:4-5, 4:4, 4:9, 5:19, and 6:9.

Brother Lawrence, a 17^th century monk who is described in the classic book, The Practice of the Presence of God was someone just like Nehemiah in that he found it easy to pray. In one recorded conversation, he had stated quite simply “All we have to do is to recognize God as being intimately present within us. Then we may speak directly to Him every time we need to ask for help, to know His will in moments of uncertainty, and to do whatever He wants us to do in a way that pleases Him.”  

I read this book early in my Christian walk. So, I often send up a short prayer at work as needed like Nehemiah did with the king. As I head from the parking lot to my building, I pray that God will lead me and give me wisdom. Sometimes I pray audibly when I am alone in my office. I may shoot up a quick silent prayer in a meeting when my temper starts to rise. I confess my sins when I see them. I take time to praise God when He enables me to accomplish a challenging task. There are always plenty of opportunities throughout the day to connect with God.

I think Nehemiah had a sense of God’s presence modeled after David, the man after God’s own heart. (See 1 Sam 13:14.) He understood what David had said in Ps. 16:11, “you will fill me with joy in presence” when he proclaimed to the Israelites that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). 

Sensitivity to God’s leading

Because Nehemiah was gifted and called to be a spiritual leader and because he remained close to God in prayer, he was able to sense when God was leading him, whether it was something great or small. Nehemiah sought the Lord daily. He acted on God’s promises to lead him. (See Ps. 32:8.)

In Neh. 2:12, we get a first glimpse of how Nehemiah got his marching orders. He describes a secret recon mission after dark to scope out the damage to the walls around Jerusalem that he took with a few men. He did not reveal his true purpose for this tour. What drove him that night was that God had put it in his heart to become part of the solution to the overwhelming problem that his people faced.

I found a similar situation in Neh. 7:5. After the wall had been completed (see Neh. 6:15), Nehemiah gave credit to Yahweh for calling him to take on a follow-on project. He wrote that “God put it into my heart” to assemble the exiles who had returned and compile a list of those who lived in the city. This alludes to God’s command to be fruitful and increase in number (Gen. 1:28) and His promise to Abram that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars (Gen. 15:5).

Although OT believers were not indwelt with the Holy Spirit in the same way as NT believers are, Nehemiah did have God’s Spirit working in his life. God spoke to him as He speaks to us today.

I want to challenge Christ-followers to remember God’s dealings with Nehemiah. We cannot be just like him, but we can be spiritual leaders by becoming men and women of prayer. We can relate to God in the same way. We can seek God’s heart and let Him lead us through changing ours. When we do those things, expect God to do a “great work” in us, with us, and through us, for His kingdom.

(Note: I invite you to read a short article, published on the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog, that highlighted a discussion I had about Nehemiah from a radio interview that I did in January 2021.)

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 41 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He is an ordinary man who is passionate about helping ordinary people experience God’s presence and integrate their Christian faith at work. Russ received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth minister. He served 20 years on active duty. Russ works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Since 2015, he has written 180 articles on faith and work topics. Ninety of these have been published on several Christian organization’s websites, including: the Center for Faith & Work at LeTourneau University, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine. (See complete list of published articles on Linktree.)

Who Protects Those Who Protect Us?

(Note: This article was published on the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog.)

As we celebrate Memorial Day in a couple of weeks, I am proud to have served in the U.S. Army, especially now.

Lately, I have been impressed by the actions of our military leaders on Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.  This installation where I work is in the business of training and educating Soldiers.  I want to share how God has used military leaders as they have responded aggressively to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to protect the force.

Rising to the challenge

Our commanding general has stated often that her number one mission now is to protect the force, which includes thousands of Soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines (both permanent party and trainees), family members, civilians, and retirees.  Under her compassionate and decisive leadership, her main focus has been on the health, welfare, safety, and readiness of everyone who lives and works on this installation.  By establishing and enforcing protective measures designed to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus on post, Army readiness has been sustained, which is enabling our units to continue their mission to train Soldiers.

What have our military leaders done over the last two months?  Here is a sample:

They eliminated large public gathering (i.e., graduations, chapel services, social events, ceremonies), cancelled courses, enforced social distancing and wearing masks, mandated telework for most of the civilian workforce, restricted personnel to a sixty mile radius, tested 100% of those who arrive from outside this area, declared a public health emergency, enforced quarantine and isolation procedures, used distance learning for courses, cancelled unnecessary travel, put on weekly Facebook livestream Town Hall meetings, incorporated virtual online platforms to conduct meetings, provided curbside pharmacy services, and have worked closely with the local community, state government, and federal agencies.

The Army doing what it does best

In my 34 years serving in and with the U.S. Army, I know that it is uniquely prepared to handle emergencies, counter threats, and carry out very difficult missions effectively.

Specifically, what has been working well here?  We are led by experienced senior leaders who listen to the advice of subject matter experts and rapidly adapt as conditions change.  Engaged junior leaders are taking care of Soldiers and their families.  There is a unified focus on the mission.  I see professionalism and discipline.  Drill sergeants train new Soldiers while enforcing social distancing standards.  I see everyone being flexible and positive.  I see teams of teams working together to find creative solutions to problems.  I see communication being passed down to the lowest level.  I see God at work through them all.

What are the results of these efforts?  The curve is flattening and we are still in business.

God protects the wall-builders

At this point, I must share one of the best examples in Scripture of how God worked in and through the leaders He called and equipped to protect His people during an all-out assault.  It ties in directly with what I have described above, as God has been protecting those who are building a wall of trained and ready Soldiers who are equipped to defend this Nation.

The book of Nehemiah illustrates how the Israelites relied on God for protection as they rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem when they returned from exile.  This is a great example of Immanuel labor – the biblical connection between God’s presence and human work.  Yahweh provided protection directly and indirectly through the work of His people.  (I invite you to read more about this story in an article I wrote and posted on my blog.)

Read the narrative.  You will see in Neh. 2:12 that God put a burden on Nehemiah’s heart to lead the effort to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.  Nehemiah recalls that God’s gracious hand of protection was already upon him (Neh. 2:18).  He relied on Yahweh to give him success (Neh. 2:20).

When they encountered opposition, they prayed for God’s protection and posted guards day and night (Neh. 4:9).  This is another illustration of how God’s presence is connected to human work.  After God supernaturally frustrated the plot of their enemies, the Israelites continued to work diligently.  Half the men did the work while the others defended the team with weapons, shields, and armor (Neh. 4:16).  As each one did their part by working and protecting the force, they acknowledged that their God was fighting for them (Neh. 4:20).

Elsewhere, we see this connection between God’s partnership with human coworkers in protecting His chosen people.  King Solomon writes, “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31).  The point is fairly obvious.  Soldiers (and their horses) definitely needed to be trained and ready in order to win the battle.  (Drill sergeants do this faithfully every single day at Fort Leonard Wood.)  However, without the Lord’s blessing and protection, there would be no victory.

Let me leave you with a final word of encouragement.  I have clearly seen God’s protection, manifested in and through the dedicated work of leaders and those who turn civilians into Soldiers.  These men and women will go forth from here, assigned to units around the world, so that they will be ready to defend this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic.  I thank God for their work.

May we remember those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom this Memorial Day.

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 39 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor. Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Nehemiah—Leader of Wall-builders

(This article is an excerpt from my book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession, and was published on the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog.  Links to this article were posted in the 4Word Women blog and the Coram Deo blog.)

In addition to Joseph and the Spirit-filled tabernacle construction workers that I discussed earlier in separate articles on my blog, there is another key narrative in the OT that highlights the deliberate biblical connection between God’s presence and human work, which I call Immanuel labor.  Seeing this theme repeated throughout the Bible helps us to understand the theology of work, how God works through His people as His coworkers to accomplish His purposes.

Stevens reminds us, “Nehemiah was like Joseph, Daniel, Esther, and Mordecai, worshipers of Yahweh who were placed in extraordinary positions of trust by pagan rulers.”  As a federal government worker, I can relate to the privilege one is granted in a position of trust.

Nehemiah 3–6 describes how the Israelites returned from exile and rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem under Nehemiah’s inspired leadership.  A few things are worth noting here.

First, Nehemiah makes it clear that this project was a unified effort between Yahweh and His people.  We observe that the people worked with all their heart (Neh. 4:6), demonstrating what the apostle Paul would later command to the NT church in Col. 3:23.

If we examine the literary context a little closer, we can see that Yahweh had already worked in their hearts. Nehemiah’s heart was broken when he first heard that the wall was broken down (Neh. 1:3–4).  On his initial secret reconnaissance of the wall, he went out at night with a few others and said that he did not reveal “what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem” (Neh. 2:12).  God had initiated the work in the hearts of His people internally so that they could work with all their hearts externally.  He still works that way with us, doesn’t He?

Second, in Neh. 4:9, we read that they prayed to God and posted guards.  This illustrates the partnership between God and man as they work side-by-side that we see in Ps. 127:1, which says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”  God does build, but He needs builders.  The Lord does watch over the city, but He still needs watchmen.  Both are necessary, and work as a team.

Before they even began, they totally depended on God’s protection.  They believed, as Nehemiah did, that God’s hand was upon them (Neh. 2:8, 18).  The people merely continued the prayer that Nehemiah had offered earlier (Neh. 1:5–11).  Then they went to work, half of them performing guard duty and the other half doing the construction (Neh. 4:16, 21).  God’s presence enabled them to be coworkers with Him, which brought them success in rebuilding the wall despite heavy opposition from the enemy to destroy, distract, and discourage God’s people from the project.

Third, God’s hand of protection and strength that Nehemiah and his team of wall-builders depended on daily enabled them to complete the job in record time despite the spiritual warfare.  Nehemiah had boldly stated to those opposed to the project at the beginning, “The God of heaven will give us success” (Neh. 2:20).  Moreover, Nehemiah encouraged his workers to remember the Lord’s great and awesome power (Neh. 4:14).  Yahweh actively frustrated the plans of the enemy (Neh. 4:15), demonstrating once again that He was working with them as they worked for Him.

Beckett zeroes in on what is probably the main point of this amazing story.  “When the final stone was set in place a remarkable reaction occurred: ‘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’ (Nehemiah 6:16).”  God and His faithful coworkers worked together on this wall.  Everyone who was involved on the inside and all those who watched it from the outside knew without a doubt that this was a divine-human effort.

Regarding this narrative, Stevens offers us some personal application as he instructs, “We are providentially placed by God in situations where we can make a difference, whether these differences are small or great.  God enlists each of us in a compelling project from which we must not be diverted. ‘I am carrying on a great project,’ was Nehemiah’s perspective.”  (See Neh. 6:3.)  In his faith-filled heart and scripture-informed mind, Nehemiah was not just called to replace stones in a broken wall.  He was restoring a kingdom for God’s glory!

When we as children of God, do God’s work through the redeeming work of Jesus and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, we are doing the same kind of holy work that Nehemiah did.  We are expanding the reign of the King who owns it all.  (See Ps. 24:1.)  Beckett echoes this truth. “If what you and I are doing is God’s will, it qualifies as a ‘great work,’ whether it is cooking dinner for the kids or designing a bridge to span the Amazon River.”

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 38 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015.  He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor.  Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

What Nehemiah Shows Us About Work and God’s Presence

(Note: I wrote this article and posted it on my blog before my book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession was published by WestBow Press in February 2018.  This critical topic was later included in the book.  I invite you to check it out.)

There is a great narrative in the OT that highlights the deliberate, not coincidental, biblical connection between God’s presence and human work.  I call this Immanuel Labor.  Seeing this theme repeated throughout the Bible helps us to understand the theology of work, how God works through His people to accomplish His purposes.

Stevens, in Work Matters, reminds us, “Nehemiah was like Joseph, Daniel, Esther, and Mordecai, worshipers of Yahweh who were placed in extraordinary positions of trust by pagan rulers.”  Being a government worker myself, I can relate to them.  (See previous article of God’s presence with me in government work.)

This account in Neh. 3-6 describes how the Israelites returned from exile, and under Nehemiah’s inspired leadership rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem.  A few things are worth noting.

First, Nehemiah makes it clear that it was a unified effort between Yahweh and His people.  Note that the people worked with all their heart (Neh. 4:6), demonstrating what Paul commanded in Col.3:23.  If we observe the context, we see that Yahweh had already worked in their hearts.  Nehemiah’s heart was broken when he first heard that the wall was broken down (1:3-4).

Later, on his initial secret reconnaissance of the wall, he went out at night with a few others.  He said that he did not reveal “what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem” (2:12).  God initiated the work in hearts internally so that His people could work with all their hearts externally.  He still works that way, doesn’t He?

Second, In Neh. 4:9, we read that they prayed to God and posted guards.  This illustrates quite well what we see in Ps. 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”  Before they even began, they totally depended on God’s protection.  They believed, as Nehemiah did, that God’s hand was upon them (Neh. 2:8, 18).  The people merely continued the prayer that Nehemiah had offered earlier (1:5-11).

Then they went to work, with half performing guard duty and the other half doing the construction (Neh. 4:16, 21).  God’s presence enabled them to be co-workers with Him, which brought them success in rebuilding the wall, despite heavy opposition from the enemy to destroy, distract, and discourage God’s project.

Third, God’s hand of protection and strength that Nehemiah and his team of wall-builders depended on daily enabled them to complete the job in record time.  Nehemiah had boldly stated to those opposed to the project at the beginning, “The God of heaven will give us success” (Neh. 2:20).

Also, Nehemiah encouraged his workers to remember the Lord’s great and awesome power (Neh. 4:14).  Moreover, Yahweh actively frustrated the plans of the enemy (Neh. 4:15), demonstrating once again that He worked with them.

Beckett, in Mastering Monday, zeroes in on the key verse of this amazing story, “When the final stone was set in place a remarkable reaction occurred: ‘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‘ (Neh. 6:16).”

God and His faithful co-workers worked together on this wall.  Everyone involved on the inside and all who watched it from the outside knew without a doubt that this was a divine-human effort.

Stevens instructs us on one of the important lessons of this story: “We are providentially placed by God in situations where we can make a difference, whether these differences are small or great.  God enlists each of us in a compelling project from which we must not be diverted.  ‘I am carrying on a great project,’ was Nehemiah’s perspective.”  (See Neh. 6:3).

In his faith-filled and Scripture-informed mind, Nehemiah was not just called to lead the nation to replace stones in a wall.  He was restoring a Kingdom for God’s glory!

As God’s chosen people, through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and the transforming work by the Holy Spirit, when we individually and collectively go about doing God’s work, both inside and outside the church, we are doing the same.  We are expanding the reign of the King who owns it all anyway.  (See Ps. 24:1.)

Beckett echoes this truth: “If what you and I are doing is God’s will, it qualifies as a ‘great work,’ whether it is cooking dinner for the kids or designing a bridge to span the Amazon River.”

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 38 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015.  He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor.  Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

More Biblical Connections Between God’s Presence and our Work

(Note: I wrote this article and posted it on my blog before my book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession was published by WestBow Press in February 2018.  This critical topic was later included in the book.  I invite you to check it out.)

Over the last two years I have been conducting extensive personal research, focusing deeply on the topic of faith and work.  I have been developing a biblical theology of work that is in line with historical and orthodox views espoused by Martin Luther and many others.  This practical doctrine is found throughout Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, and fits into all of the major aspects of systematic theology, including the doctrines of God, man, salvation, the church, and eschatology.

One of the biblical principles I discovered is the repeated connections, found in both Old and New Testaments, between God’s divine presence and human work.  I call this Immanuel labor.  I explained this concept in an article I wrote a year and a half ago, where I highlighted examples such as Adam, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Solomon, Mary, Paul, and others.  Since then, as I have continued to read, learn, and grow in my understanding, I keep seeing this idea over and over in a variety of places.

This week, as I was reading a good book at lunchtime, Mastering Monday: A Guide to Integrating Faith and Work, by John D. Beckett, I saw this same pattern in two Old Testament saints and with respect to Jesus Himself, which I had not noticed before.

Daniel, who I can relate to because he was a government administrator as I am now, illustrates Immanuel labor quite well.  When Daniel “resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine”, it says in Daniel 1:9 that “God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel”.  In verse 17, we see that God gave him and his three fiery furnace friends “knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.”

In addition, Daniel had the unique ability to interpret dreams, which he clearly attributed to God (2:23, 28).  He was put in a position of authority based on his “exceptional qualities” (6:3).  Beckett specifically mentions God’s presence as it was demonstrated in the lion’s den (6:22); “even there, God was with him”.  He adds, “I love the evidence of God’s initiative in Daniel’s life, indicated by the powerful verbs in the Scriptures cited above.  God ’caused.’ God ‘gave.’  God ‘sent.’  God was clearly active with him providing and showing favor.”

Nehemiah was the next one that Beckett discusses.  In the near future, I plan to write a detailed exposition of how God’s presence and hand of protection enabled Nehemiah and his team of wall-rebuilders to complete the job in record time.  For now, let me just share one statement he makes about this great leader.  Beckett observes, “When the final stone was set in place a remarkable reaction occurred: ‘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‘ (6:16)” (emphasis mine).

At lunchtime today, as I read about Jesus’ work as a carpenter, it really grabbed me.  This is literally a great example of Immanuel labor.  Here is what Beckett wrote:

For over a decade, Jesus ran a small woodworking shop.  Just as we do in our larger business, he had to plan ahead, purchase materials, maintain his tools and inventory, manage the work of others, tend to product quality, please his customers, and pay taxes.  He was making real products – tables and chairs, cabinets, oxen yokes for farming.  He was meeting real needs.”  He ponders, “Can you imagine the immense satisfaction Jesus found in his work, laboring not just to please himself but his Father in heaven? . . . He was actively modeling and extending the kingdom of God right where he was, amid wood chips and sawdust, rising to the challenges and receiving the rewards of his daily activities.

Wow!  What a comprehensive job description!

So, how does this concept impact us at our own jobs?  For me, when I choose to focus on the fact that God, in the person of Jesus Christ who is Immanuel (God with us), is present with His children, and that His presence affects the manner in which I do my work in every way, I am able to fulfill His purposes in my life.  As we practice His presence daily, as Brother Lawrence did, we can see God meeting people’s needs through us as His co-workers.

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 38 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015.  He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor.  Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.