Moral Authority

Daily Reading:  Nehemiah 3

 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. (Nehemiah 3.1)

Devotional Thought: Nehemiah was deeply moved by reports of the distressing condition of Jerusalem.  He poured out his heart to God.  He shared his burden with the king and received permission to return to the city and lead the restoration effort.  In the persons of Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, Nehemiah encountered the inevitable opposition that accompanies any great work.  But he also cast a compelling vision of what could be and should be and received overwhelming affirmation from the residents.

Chapter three is about the work—how a variety of people came together and pitched in under his coordination and leadership.  The first person mentioned in v. 1 is Eliashib the “high priest,” who was in charge of the priests in Jerusalem.  But he wasn’t above rolling up his sleeves and getting involved.  Eliashib was out front in the work, leading by example.  He didn’t act as if he was too “spiritual” for the hard work of rebuilding the walls.

In Eliashib we see a powerful example of an essential ingredient of an effective Christian life—namely, moral authority - the alignment between your convictions and your behavior … a congruence between what you say and what you do.  Nothing compensates for a lack of moral authority.  No amount of skill, wealth, talent, education, accomplishment, or position can make up for a lack of moral authority.  When there’s a contradiction between what someone claims to be and what we perceive them to be, we will not allow ourselves to be influenced by that person.

Chapter three lists more than fifty people who played a key role in rebuilding the walls.  My guess is the reason so many folks got involved was in part due to the moral authority of Eliashib … and Nehemiah.

 John Whitsett

Prayer: Heavenly Father—we live in a day where a lot of people try to create impressions but lack substance.  Help me to be a person of moral authority—someone whose convictions and behaviors align.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 106:32-39

32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them;

33 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips.

34 They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them,

35 but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.

36 They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.

37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to false gods.

38 They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood.

39 They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves.