Theme: The LORD works through human hands

Outline/summary:
1. Organisation with God’s help
Nehemiah arranges for everything to be in place so that he can carry out the will of the Lord. His mission is clear – he must go to Jerusalem to restore the city. With the Lord’s help, he is able to organise everything properly. From the king he gets the right papers to show he has permission to do the work.

2. Inspection in God’s service
Arriving in Jerusalem, Nehemiah begins inspecting. Before embarking on this big task, he does proper prep work. We see how he stands in the service of the Lord. He is not bombastic and does not give instructions. No! – serviceably he carries out the command himself that the Lord gives him.

3. Motivation for God’s Kingdom
Nehemiah is a great leader. After finishing his preliminary work, after knowing exactly what needs to happen, he starts the work. He motivates all the people in Jerusalem to participate. They follow him fervently. Here is a man who is truly in the service of the Lord. He not only speaks, he builds the kingdom of God.