Nehemiah 2:18—“Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.”
Having arrived in Jerusalem, Nehemiah first surveyed its broken walls quietly and carefully (Neh. 2:11–16). He did not rush into a public announcement, nor did he conceal the need when the proper time came. He plainly declared to the rulers, priests, nobles, and people, “Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste” (v. 17). Yet he did not leave them discouraged by the ruin. He testified of “the hand of my God which was good upon me”, and of the king’s favourable words.
Nehemiah’s account directed the people beyond human circumstances to the providence of God. Artaxerxes’ letters, protection, and provision of timber were evidence that the Lord had opened the way. The God of heaven had not forgotten His covenant people, though they had returned from exile to a distressed and reproachful condition. His gracious hand was now calling them to rebuild the city for His glory.
The people’s response was immediate and united: “Let us rise up and build.” Faith in God’s providence did not produce passivity, but willing labour. They “strengthened their hands”. In other words, they prepared themselves with courage, resolve, and mutual support for “this good work”. The rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall was not merely a civic project; it concerned the safety, testimony, and ordered worship of God’s people.
The church likewise must not be paralysed by weakness, opposition, or unfinished duties. When God makes His will clear and grants means for His work, His people should respond with faith and readiness. Pastors and leaders ought to recount God’s goodness; the congregation ought to unite in prayerful service. Every task done for the preservation, edification, and witness of Christ’s church is a good work to be undertaken in humble dependence upon Him.
