Nehemiah 尼希米記 1-2
Nehemiah 2:17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.”
尼希米記 2:17 以後，我對他們說：「我們所遭的難，耶路撒冷怎樣荒涼，城門被火焚燒，你們都看見了。來吧，讓我們重建耶路撒冷的城牆，免得再受凌辱！」
When Nehemiah heard a report regarding his hometown stating that “[t]he remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” (1:3), he could not simply go on with his own comfortable life as cupbearer for the king. He had to do what “God had put into his heart” (2:12). Walls symbolize protection. Without protection, enemies will easily come in and attack. Do we see the ruined walls in and around us? Do we as parents see our children being drawn to the world? Do we ask why our children are not interested in the things of God? Do we see that our country has mostly abandoned God even though “In God we trust” is printed on our currency? Do we weep and pray for the lost? Thankfully, God always prepares a way back for us and is waiting for us: “if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, then… I will gather [you] from there…” (1:9). To rebuild the ruins, we first need to individually be like Nehemiah to inspect “that [which has been] broken down” (2:13). May God move our hearts not only weep and to pray but also to arise and to rebuild the broken walls in our lives, in our homes, TODAY!
尼希米聽到關於他的家鄉的報告說：“那些被擄歸回剩下的餘民在猶大省那裏遭大難，受凌辱；耶路撒冷的城牆被拆毀，城門被火焚燒。” （1：3）他無法再簡單地過自己舒適的生活，繼續擔任國王的酒政。他必須做“上帝感動他心要做的事”（2:12）。城牆象徵著保護。 沒有保護，敵人將很容易進入並攻擊。我們看到自己和周圍的牆破了嗎？作為父母，我們是否看到我們的孩子被世界吸引？我們是否問為什麼我們的孩子對上帝的事不感興趣？我們是否看到，即使我們的貨幣上印有“我們信靠上帝 In God We Trust”，我們的國家還是在越來越離棄上帝？我們為失喪的人哭泣嗎？值得慶幸的是，上帝總是為我們準備一條路，並在等待著我們：“但你們若歸向我，謹守遵行我的誡命，你們被趕散的人雖在天涯，我也必從那裏將他們召集回來…”（1：9 ）。要重建城牆，我們首先需要像尼希米一樣單獨察看“被破壞的城牆”（2:13）。願上帝今天感動我們的心，不僅哭泣和祈禱，而且起來重建今天在我們的生命中和在我們的家中被毀壞的牆！
