The Character of a Leader - Nehemiah 3

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters.

Today we continue our series on the leadership qualities of Nehemiah, the Old Testament leader who led the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.  

We resume the story in chapter 2 as we observe three additional leadership characteristics.  These are qualities that we want to imitate.    

We read in verses 17 and 18. “Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.

• Nehemiah was a visionary leader.  He and those with him saw the reality of the wall in ruins.  Yet, unlike others, Nehemiah saw the potential, the possibility of a rebuilt wall.  Visionary leaders are able to see “into the future”, to envision what others cannot see AND to communicate the possibilities in a convincing way.  This leads us to a second leadership quality.

• Nehemiah was an inspiring leader. The wall had been in ruins since King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem 152 years before, when he knocked down the walls and burned the city’s gates. Nehemiah, in this case, appealed to the Jews’ sense of cultural identity and pride.  Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace."  Nehemiah knew the right – the most effective – motivational appeal to those living in Jerusalem.  He was effective in this appeal; our text simply says, “So they began this good work.”  

It’s at this point in the story that Sanballat and Tobiah begin their meddling, their attempts to disrupt the work and discourage the workers.  We continue the account in verses 19 and 20. “But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?" I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success."

• Nehemiah was a confident leader. However, his confidence did not lie in himself or those around him.  Rather, he responded, “The God of heaven will give us success.”  Notice, too, that Nehemiah did not react to defend himself when ridiculed by critics.  He did not show them his credentials.  He did not engage in a war of words; he avoided an angry response to those who opposed him.  May we follow this example!  

As we conclude chapter 2, our three leadership qualities are visionary, inspiring and confident.  May we follow in like manner.      

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.