even the sparrow: Faces in the Dirt [Joy

Monday, April 28, 2025

Faces in the Dirt [Joy - Week 5]

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” ~ Nehemiah 8:10

Recently I purchased these little note cards with this joy verse and the cute hummingbird. Kind of sweet, right? Nehemiah 8:10 is an old favorite, but I guess, I always thought it was just about my potential for strength through God’s production of joy.

The Lord’s Joy = Jody’s Strength!

Such a good deal. And whereas this is true, it is only part of the story found in this not-so-often-read book of Nehemiah. There’s a bigger story worth hearing which leads us up to this well known verse. And, for the record, it has absolutely nothing to do with hummingbirds.

Before “the joy of the Lord is your strength” part we have 70 years of Babylonian captivity and afterward almost 8 chapters covering 52 dramatic days in which Nehemiah is leading the people to rebuild the demolished city walls of Jerusalem. It is a period of hard work, great struggle, and even a good bit of drama. The project probably feels endless. The task relentless. The people are tired. There is no HGTV filming anywhere in sight.

But finally it is finished. And everyone comes together for a dedication. Ezra, the priest and teacher, stands up on a wooden platform and reads out loud to the people from the Book of the Law of Moses.

Imagine them all gathered below. Like a modern day concert. Except instead of entertainment and music, Ezra reads the law from morning to noon. We are talking hours here, people. Everyone just standing and listening. I know if our pastor goes a few minutes past noon in his Sunday morning sermon we all get little fidgety in our comfy seats.

But the people of Jerusalem stay put and they listen. And, what's more, they are incredibly moved to three responses:

First they lift their hands and respond, “Amen! Amen!”

Then they bow down and put their faces on the ground.

Finally, they weep.

I am not a Bible scholar. I don’t know all the ins and outs of what prompted these people to weep. But gosh, they had just finished this prodigious project of rebuilding a massive city wall and it seems they should have been dancing and eating and drinking. Clearly a time for some good old fashioned merry-making.

If we move into a new house or finish a renovation project we invite our friends over and pop the bubbly. We party. We don’t put our faces on the ground and weep (that happens in the middle of the project). We rejoice and we revel in our completion. We celebrate!

But the people of Jerusalem lift hands, bow down and weep.

Why?

Well, it seems they are absolutely overcome by God’s word, overwhelmed by His goodness, and repentant over their own sin. Have you ever been there? I sure have. It isn't pretty.

They must be considering the months leading up to this moment of dedication. Like I said earlier, months filled with hard work, but also with great drama. The people were turning against one another. Pointing fingers, stealing food, cheating neighbors. There was in-fighting and definitely some out-fighting. At one point Nehemiah was forced to assign half the workers to stand guard as protectors with spears while the other half continued to build. In addition, there were at least a couple of plots against Nehemiah’s life. I wasn't there, but I’m telling you, from what I read, it was a hot mess of a project.

Then all of a sudden it is finally finished. And the people gather at the Water Gate (not to be confused with Nixon) and God’s Word is read and the people begin to weep and grieve. Not just a few delicate tears on upturned faces, but faces down in the dirt. That kind of grieving. Ugly crying.

And instead of Ezra and Nehemiah shaming them and chastising them and reminding them what a troublesome lot they all were, they instead encourage them saying, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

What a powerful display of God’s Word. How it can humble us when we stand before it. How it can take us right down to the ground in worship and weeping. BUT THEN bring us right back up to a place of joy.

YES, the JOY of the Lord certainly IS our strength, but perhaps we must first see our shame, realize our need for repentance and bow humbly before this Lord who offers both joy and strength.

In all of those crazy, dark days of rebuilding, Nehemiah kept turning to God. He kept praying. He kept asking the Lord to “strengthen his hands.” He kept leading the people with the help of God. Despite Nehemiah's faithful reliance on God, perhaps the people, though, didn’t quite get it until the project was over and then they found themselves overcome. They had to look back. They had to see it all complete.

And they finally got it. And they grieved.

Just like when we finally get it. When we realize how off course we’ve been and how little we deserve and what a hot mess we are. And then God says to us, do not grieve, the joy of the Lord is your strength.

His Word becomes a most beautiful balm to our sad souls.

“I will take great delight in you! … I will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1

Like I wrote last week, so often, blurry is the line between sorrow and joy. They coexist. Sorrow and joy are not opposites. In fact, I would go so far as to say the joyful follower of Christ is probably also more in tune with sorrow than those who don’t know Jesus. Jesus, the Man of Sorrows. Isn't it true, the closer we come to God the more we see our own sin clearly?

We are more aware of our great sin and more aware of His greater grace. We are sorrowful. Full of sorrow. And yet, because of His unconditional and steadfast love and mercy, the joy is more abundant than ever.

And it is this unexpected and undeserved joy that becomes our strength in times of hardship.

In one of Tim Keller’s messages he says, “The opposite of joy is not sorrow, but hopelessness.” The people of Jerusalem see the rebuilt wall before them as they hear Ezra reading. Despite all of their issues and in-fighting, Nehemiah reminds them they have hope. Yes, they have sorrow for their wrongful actions, but they have hope and they can have joy … and ultimately these things bring them the strength of the Lord.

God did this thing that they could never have done. He rebuilt the wall. He is the wall around them. He remains their fortress. He is their Rock. He is our Rock.