Nehemiah’s Leadership Playbook: Follow-through

Follow-through

So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. – Nehemiah 13:19-21

Yesterday we considered how Nehemiah enforced the Sabbath standards in the land by contending with his compatriots who were violating the commands of God by trading and going about their business on the sabbath day, contrary. We also saw how he took the matter further by calling out the nobles in the land and accusing them of being complicit in the violations by not calling the people to order. Perhaps because they were also profiting from the commercial activities.

Today, we are going to meditate on how Nehemiah followed through with his reformation campaign and did not just leave it at talking alone. As if the talks he had with the people was not enough, Nehemiah went further by putting systems in place to forestall a recurrence of the abuse of the sacred injunction of God to the people concerning Sabbath. He shut the gates of the city and commanded that it must not be opened until after the Sabbath.

He did not stop there. He also stationed his men at the gates to drive away whoever might want to venture out or into the city to trade or do other activities. Then he confronted the foreign merchants who camped at the at gates outside the city in anticipation of resuming their trades once it is opened. He sternly warned them to leave and not come back until after the Sabbath. ‘I spoke sharply to them and said, “What are you doing out here, camping around the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you!” And that was the last time they came on the Sabbath’ (Nehemiah 13:21).

This is a classic example of follow-through on the part of Nehemiah. With this forthrightness he demonstrated that he was not just about talking and threatening alone, but he was also a man who follows through on his words. And the strong way he did this was something every leader can learn from.

In a world where there is so much talk about what ought to be with little commitment to see such through, Nehemiah offers us a breath of fresh air that helps us to see how the world could be when we have leaders who are righteous, upright, and forthright; men and women who fear God, act right, and follow through on their promises to the people they lead.

If you are a leader or aspire to leadership, you will do well to learn from Nehemiah’s example.

You Will Succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

• Nehemiah’s Leadership Playbook: Enforcing Standards
• How God Creates: Creating by Extraction
• She Never Left My Side
• The Lord Jesus Christ Set Me Free