Nehemiah 7:
Now that the wall was rebuilt it was time to undertake another look at the strength and resources that were at the command of the people of Israel. The city was large and the people were few and so, for the next few years, it was important that the defenses of the city remained strong. What Nehemiah was hoping for was, now that the wall was rebuilt, that many more of the exiles would return to populate the city. This is what eventually happened and the number steadily grew but each family had to demonstrate their lineage in order to be welcomed amongst the priesthood or roles of authority within the city. The nation was going to be rebuilt but it was going to be rebuilt in the manner the Lord intended.
Job 8:
Bildad the Shuhite spells out his opinion that Job must be a sinner because of all of the bad things which have happened to him. This is a common and concerning attitude. Some people believe that God deals out judgement upon sinners and if you are facing any trials or difficulty it is because you are doing something wrong. Jesus clearly stated that ‘in this world you will have tribulation’. Trials and testings bring character and eventual blessing. What Job needed was encouragement in that direction rather than literally adding insult to injury by suggesting that he had really brought all of these calamities upon himself. With friends like these who really does need an enemy?
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