Every time there is a great working of God among fallen humanity, very often the movement is only temporary. The people of Israel followed through on their covenant with God as long as Nehemiah was governor - 12 years. But when Nehemiah made a trip back to Persia to report to his King, Israel’s leadership allowed a pagan to be part of their temple. We need to make up our minds to be faithful to God and to His Word, regardless of the cost or the outcome, and teach others to do the same.

Dedication is an act of worship - dedicating our time, our possessions, our lifestyles, ourselves. This is a response of love and gratitude to God, not merely religious duty. The Jews in gratitude for God’s faithfulness reestablish Jerusalem as the central location of their worship.

This section of Nehemiah recounts the ups and downs of the nation of Israel through the book of Judges. Yet God shows His mercy and long-suffering toward his people. He is faithful to keep His promises because of His own character, and not the failings of the people.

God is holy, gracious and merciful; humankind is inconstant, unfaithful, and deceitful. Our everlasting life is not dependent on our performance; it is rooted and grounded in God’s faithfulness, and in the character of a holy, promise-fulfilling God. “For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.”

Whenever the greatness of God is mentioned in the Bible, it usually refers to His power in Creation, or His deliverance of Israel through the Exodus from Egypt. Yet this God Who is of a magnitude of power incomprehensibly great, has made promises to us. The promises of God are always fulfilled. He keeps His word, even when humanity does not.

We don't have to change our lives in order to be reconciled to God. Our lives change because of the fact that we have been reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus. Repentance means "to change your mind." Changed behavior results from a changed mind. The behavior follows the belief.

After hearing the Word of God in their homeland for the first time since captivity, the Jews wanted to be obedient to the Scriptures. They immediately began preparations for the Feast of Tabernacles, to remember God’s provision for them.

Nehemiah, having taken care of the physical security that the walls of Jerusalem provide, now reintroduces the Jewish people to the Scriptures through Ezra the scribe. The emotional response of the people to the precious rarity of hearing God’s Word read aloud is a reminder to us today to not take the Bible for granted, but to immerse ourselves in it.

Good beginnings are important, but they are no guarantee of success if you don't stay focused. Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem 93 years after the first Jews returned to their homeland. Why was it still in such disrepair after all that time? A reminder from the Bible about staying focused and taking care of God's work first.

Enemies without, enemies within. Nehemiah faces the rumor mill with challenges from outsiders as well as his own people. By God’s grace and by remaining focused on what God has called him to, Nehemiah overcomes.

Our behavior is a reflection of the God we serve. Are we representing Him rightly? In this passage, we see Nehemiah dealing with the wealthy Jews taking advantage of their brothers, and he calls them to account. We are not to compartmentalize our ethics.

God is greater and more powerful than anything we have to face. We need to be ready always both to work and to fight. Faith is the opposite of fear.