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"And I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me bitterly; therefore, I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room."
(Nehemiah 13:7-8)
Years ago, the citizens of Stamford, Connecticut, had a unique problem: wild turkeys were attacking joggers, mail carriers, or anyone they could corner. The turkeys were accustomed to being fed by the citizens in the city, and when they did not get their food, they became aggressive and hostile. It is kind of funny, but not too much if you are one of those being pursued by these "gobble, gobble" creatures! The city issued advice to the people when accosted by a turkey: Make noise and run toward them hollering and waving your hands in the air to frighten them away. (Source: Podcast, "The World and Everything in It," September 13, 2017.) Sometimes you must be aggressive and run toward the problem instead of running away from it. And that is precisely what Nehemiah does in chapter 13.
Last Sunday, our church completed our study on the book of Nehemiah. We walked through almost all of the 13 chapters together, and what a joy it was to study this amazing book with our people. The final chapter, 13, personifies the phrase "righteous indignation". Derek Kinder says it is as "hard-hitting and colorful a passage as any in the book." This week I will share with you what Nehemiah did in response to the challenges set before him as the governor, the leader of Jerusalem in the 5th century B.C.
Nehemiah 13 teaches us that sometimes as a leader, you must step up to the plate, tackle problems head on, or, as Beethoven said, "take life by the throat." Most have heard of the brilliant musician and composer Ludwig van Beethoven. About 8 years ago, I visited his birthplace in Bonn, Germany and saw where he was born. At age 5, he was playing the violin. At 13, he was a concert organist. While in his twenties, he studied under Hayden and Mozart. Beethoven was an incredible, prolific composer. He wrote nine symphonies, five piano concertos, and numerous other pieces of music. Beethoven, however, was well-acquainted with pain and difficulty. He began to lose his hearing while in his twenties. His hearing continued to be a problem until he reached his fifties; then he was completely deaf. Though he was deaf, he was still an incredible musician. One day, he slammed both fists on the keyboard and exclaimed the following words: "I will take life by the throat." (Source: Swindoll, Hand Me Another Brick, p. 190.)
When Nehemiah returned from Babylon, he was faced with four difficult circumstances and, in each one, Nehemiah took them by the throat. He did not give in or succumb to trials. He was proactive and victorious. Nehemiah's example will certainly encourage timid souls who have a difficult time with confrontation.
Do you have a challenge before you as a leader, or some furniture you need to toss? May God grant to you the courage to step up and do the hard but correct thing. Go for it!
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