Nehemiah suffered the opposition of men who did not want to see the Jews succeed in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. From the first six chapters of the book of Nehemiah, we find opposition in the following forms, some of which are evident today within the PCUSA:
1. The destruction of the Jerusalem wall, and the burning of its gates (Neh. 1:3).
Evangelical/conservative Presbyterians see this happen in the PCUSA in the form of deconstruction of our doctrinal foundation, redefinition of faithfulness, acceptance of sinful practice as normative.
2. Accusations of disloyalty to worldly authorities (Neh. 2:19)
“You’re not a loyal Presbyterian if you even discuss the possibility of leaving the denomination” as demonstrated by the dissolution of a pastorate and replacement of a Session with an administrative commission. The cause was the Pastor’s leading a town-hall meeting to discuss the pros and cons of leaving the denomination.
3. Ridicule of godly efforts as futile, impossible, incompetent, pipe-dreams (Neh. 4:2-3)
Reaction of Louisville staffers to the creation of a “new Reformed body” by the Fellowship of Presbyterians. “Can’t happen; it’s unconstitutional.”
4. Plots to cause dissension within the ranks of God’s people (Neh. 4:8)
There is dissension, but I doubt it is the result of plots. But if there were to be a perceived division of the ranks among evangelicals, I believe our opponents would seek to exploit it. Evidence: using quotations (out of context) of our esteemed Dr. Tom Gillespie to support the Covenant Network agenda at a General Assembly committee meeting, as part of a presentation in favor of ordaining practicing homosexuals. A furious Dr. Gillespie himself refuted the false claim to that committee when notified of the use of his name in quasi endorsement of an unbiblical view.
5. Harassment and open fighting against the people of Israel (Neh. 4:8)
This happens at presbytery meetings openly, across the country, as it did to me last Tuesday and has been evident in our debates about a “gracious” dismissal policy.
6. Killing of Jews and defeating the work (Neh. 4:11)
Thankfully, we haven’t seen this happen, although I am among those who have received threats for a public stand against ordaining practicing homosexuals. (To be absolutely fair, even I do not think these threats came from a fellow member of presbytery, but from someone in “the world” who read the newspaper account of a presbytery meeting.)
7. Dissatisfaction; economic conditions having negative impact within Israel (Neh. 5:1-5)
The downturn in the American economy has certainly affected churches and could very well add to the pressure to exact exorbitant fees from departing congregations.
8. Calling a meeting as part of a scheme to harm (Neh. 6:2)
Not sure about the “scheme to harm” part of this, but Presbyterians are known for calling meetings in times of stress. As long as we are meeting with our opponents, a (false?) hope is kept alive that a solution might be found. But meanwhile, proactivity is stalled and members are lulled into a perpetual holding pattern. Presbyteries have every advantage the longer a “discernment” process drags out, all under the guise of “meetings.”
9. False accusations of sedition, revolution, nonconformity (Neh. 6:6f)
“You are not a loyal Presbyterian; you are fomenting schism; why can’t you get with the (Presbyterian) program?” Yep, heard this one: “How can you be so sure that you are right? Your view is unPresbyterian.” Au contraire, mes amis, in this Kingdom, I am obeying the King of kings and cannot condone a Presbyterian alternative universe.
10. Intimidation with power-plays or false prophets (Neh. 6:9-13)
Power-plays? Let me count the ways: Covenant Network’s bald attempt to give definitive guidance for the examination of ministry candidates (see Viola Larson and Jim Berkley commentaries) or rulings from clerks to thwart the adoption of definitions and commitments to orthodoxy and biblically consistent sexual ethics.
Tomorrow: Sermon on the Mount: “Love your enemies.”
The weekend retreat gathered forty-five women, many of them new in the faith, to a lovely site on the Pacific Ocean. The speaker’s topic was “Courage,” which would seem to have obvious application for women today; but the choice of Nehemiah 1 through 6 as the text was fascinating to me. God moved quite strongly among and in the women, and for that we were all very grateful!
While listening to our speaker, the geek in me “traveled” to the former time and place and what the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall meant to God’s people, to their opponents, and, yes, to us in the PCUSA. My contemplation of the Word followed this track, straight from the text:
1. Nehemiah 1:3—“They said to me, ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.’ When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.” I too lament the breakdown of boundaries and foundations that have previously defined us as Presbyterians.
2. Nehemiah 2:4—“The king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’ Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, ‘…send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.’” Might we also be called to rebuild what has been trampled in the PCUSA and rediscover our Reformed roots in the process?
3. Nehemiah 2:17—“Then I said to [Jews who had previously returned to Jerusalem], ‘You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, . . . Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.’”
4. Nehemiah 2:19—“But when . . . Sanballat, . . . Tobiah, . . . and Geshem . . . heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. ‘What is this you are doing?’ they asked. ‘Are you rebelling against the king?’” But rebuilding the integrity of the PCUSA is inviting ridicule and even judicial obstruction from those who have a vested interest in keeping the walls ill-defined: people shaped by secular values outside and within the church.
5. Nehemiah 3:17—“Next to [Nehemiah ben Asbuk], the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum . . .. Beside him, Hashabiah . . . carried out repairs in his district. Next to him, the repairs were made by . . . .. Next to him, . . . Next to him, . . .Next to him.” The work before us can be accomplished if we labor shoulder to shoulder.
6. Nehemiah 4:1—“When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, . . .. ‘Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?’”
7. Nehemiah 4:4-6—“‘Hear us, O our God, for we are despised.’ . . . So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.”
8. Nehemiah 4:7—“But when Sanballat, Tobiah, . . . heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead . . . they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.”
9. Nehemiah 4:21—“So [in response to the plots against us] we continued the work with half the men holding spears, . . .” In the face of institutional opposition, our quest for godliness and strong, defining boundaries, can be accomplished by faith and pragmatism.
10. Nehemiah 5:1—“Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers [regarding economic injustices and enslavement within the community].” The dissention within the ranks is just as distracting, if not divisive, as the threat from without. Great attention must be paid to meeting the pastoral needs and encourage the unity of any reform movement within the PCUSA.
11. Nehemiah 5:9—“‘What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?’” Throughout the rebuilding process, the builders must confess sin and seek to practice God’s justice/righteousness. Repentance continues to be necessary for us to succeed in God’s work.
12. Nehemiah 6:1—“When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall . . . [they] sent me this message: ‘Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.’ But they were scheming to harm me; . . .” Intimidation in the form of “Let us meet to discuss what you are doing” is another way to neutralize the PCUSA rebuilding effort. The longer we stay in meetings, the more temptation we have to fall asleep, get distracted, or be satisfied by less than God’s desire for the church.
13. Nehemiah 6:8—“I sent this reply: ‘Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.’ They were trying to frighten us . . . Should a man like me run away? . . . [They] had hired [a prophet] to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin . . .” People sounding very pious can derail the efforts to rebuild the church.
14. Nehemiah 6:15—“So the wall was completed . . . in fifty-two days. 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.” No human threat can ultimately undermine what God desires to do through courageous and submitted saints.
Tomorrow: Are Presbyterians being intimidated into accepting the status quo?
