The Building Inspector

T

he old house had been standing on Poplar Street for as long as Andy could remember.  The trees in the backyard still spread their branches heavenward, casting large patches of shade on the ground below.  The large rubber tire that swung from one of the branches when he was a boy was still there, only now it was very worn and ragged.

As he approached the house, he noticed that the For Sale sign in the front yard sported a very conspicuous “Sold” sticker, indicating that ownership of the old house had recently changed hands.  Just for old time’s sake, Andy decided to walk around the house and gaze in the windows to see if any remnants of his childhood memories were still there. 

The best view of the basement was in the rear of the house where the large windows provided an unhindered view of the lower level’s contents.  It was just as he imagined.  There were still things in the basement but he couldn’t make them out.  The floors were filthy, and the walls had huge cracks in them.  Old plaster lay in huge sheets on the basement floor and the old staircase looked anything but sturdy.  As he backed away from the window, Andy noticed huge cracks in the foundation.  Whoever had purchased the house would spend a fortune just repairing that alone, not to mention the much-needed repairs on the rest.  Perhaps it would be better to raze the house to the ground and start over from scratch.

Just as he was leaving, Andy heard someone walk up behind him.  He turned to see an older gentleman staring at him with a puzzled look on his face.  Andy quickly introduced himself and shared his memories of the old home with the man who just happened to be the new owner.  Andy quickly learned that the man had grown up in the home as a boy and had one day dreamed of owning it.  When the opportunity came to purchase the structure he jumped at the chance.  He was aware of the structural challenges that lay ahead but had determined to rebuild and restore the house to its original condition. 

To any of you who have lived through a restoration project, you can appreciate the difficulties this man faced.  Repairing and restoring the foundation of any building can be costly and very time consuming.  Yet, unless due attention is given to the foundation and to the walls, any other restoration will be useless—a waste of time and resources.

This is exactly the attitude we find recorded in the book of Nehemiah.  Nehemiah was given the task of returning to Jerusalem.  He received word that the walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed and he wanted to be instrumental in rebuilding them.   He received his wish and was placed in charge of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, a task he completed in 52 days.  The work, however, was not without its share of challenges and difficulties.

Before any restoration project can be undertaken, a frank and thorough examination must be conducted.  The restoration team must know the extent of the existing damage and the amount and type of work that will be required to repair it.  Nehemiah was such an inspector.  After returning to Jerusalem, he conducted an investigation to assess the damage to the city’s walls.  He did this alone and at night so as not to be influenced by others.  Nehemiah wanted to know exactly what he was facing before he made his report.

Nehemiah 2:17-18 provides us with his findings, “Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace."  I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work”.

Nehemiah begins with a direct assessment of the damage. He doesn’t mince words and he is not interested in smoothing things over.  He says quite openly that Jerusalem’s walls have been destroyed.  They lie in ruins and the gates have all been burned.  The city is vulnerable to attack and her people are unprotected.  As long as the walls remain down, as long as the gates remain burned, and as long as no one undertakes repairs, Jerusalem will never be the glorious city God intended it to be.

So Nehemiah determines to do something about this.  He enlists the help of his fellow countrymen and convinces them that as long as Jerusalem remains desolate, she will be a disgrace.  Nehemiah received permission from King Cyrus and he knew this was God’s purpose for his life.  Nehemiah led the people in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem so that they could once again worship and bring honor to God.

How are the foundations and the walls of your spiritual life today?  Are there cracks in the foundation due to neglect?  Have the worries of the world, the cares of life, and the harsh weather of day-to-day living caused cracks in the foundation?  Take heart from Nehemiah.  He was sent as a building inspector, to assess the damage and to rely on God to help him rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.  Nehemiah knew that only God’s help and direction could make the rebuilding of the city’s walls possible.

W

e have the same opportunity today.  God’s word serves as our building inspector.  It points out the areas of difficulty in our lives and shows places of vulnerability in our walk with the Lord.  With God’s help and in His strength we can rebuild the walls.  We can be what God intends for us to be—a city on a hill, a light in the darkness, salt in a bland and tasteless world.  How long has it been since you inspected your own walls?  Perhaps it is time to take the light of God’s word and to use it for a thorough inspection of your walls and your foundation.  Could you use a visit from The Building Inspector today?