Nehemiah II: Leadership and Integrity

Commentator for Nehemiah is Rev. Matt Wolfington. He did a Nehemiah study as part of his seminary training at Asbury. It seemed only appropriate for us to gain from his learning. Thanks, Matt.

Leadership requires the ability to work with many groups and personalities. In the midst of working, you must cast a vision for them to follow. For me, the most important aspect of leadership is integrity. The best vision, best interpersonal skills, best executable plans, cannot serve as a substitute for integrity. Nehemiah had it all.

In our reading today, we see that Nehemiah made sure that the internal health of the band of people was good so they could survive the external forces that were unhealthy. In order to support the community, Nehemiah placed their welfare above his own. Nehemiah was showing the people his own integrity but also raising the bar for the future way a living for everyone else. He made the nobles, officials, priests and the people all follow the same standard of integrity. No one was above or below the other. Even after Nehemiah was appointed as governor, neither he nor his brothers lived like upper class government officials. We know for about 13 years he did not even eat the food that was retained for him as governor. Notice how Nehemiah lived his life:

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[c] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)

Nehemiah also displays wisdom in rejecting the offers of Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem. He knew it would never work because the people would reject them. They had no claim or stake in the effort and, by the way, they really wanted to kill him. Nehemiah was really making a bold statement here that could be easily missed: God’s children are different and must be on guard and not infiltrated and allow the world to change them.

I will end with this: The first portion of our reading, the people existed for the purpose of the walls. Now, the walls are complete and the walls exist for the people. A city is not just buildings, but rather people. Once the project was complete, how do you live as a community and function in the enjoyment of the accomplishment? Nehemiah established citizenship in the community and encouraged confession and worship as well. Hmmm….sounds like the current story of St. Luke’s Lubbock!