06/14/2026
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SURVEYING THE DAMAGE
Nehemiah 1:3
And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame.
"The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the King of Persia. After Nehemiah heard this report, he spent time grieving over the condition of Jerusalem, personally repenting of his sin and confessing the sins of Israel. As a result, God moved upon the heart of the King of Persia to send Nehemiah to Jerusalem to reconstruct the city wall. The first thing Nehemiah did upon arrival was survey the damage to the wall.
Why was the wall important? The wall served as a shield from attacks from their enemy, hordes of thieves, and wild animals. Without a completely intact wall, there was no protection.
Obedience to God’s Word is our wall of protection. It is built on faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by hearing His Word and doing what it says. God shields His people from attacks from the enemy as long as they walk in repentance and faithfulness to His Word.
Psalm 5:12
For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Sin and disobedience damage that shield of protection, giving the enemy access to kill, steal, and destroy our lives. When we hear God’s Word and don’t do it, we have no protection. We deceive ourselves by thinking that hearing the Word is sufficient protection and does not require any action on our part.
Isaiah 30:12-15
Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says:
"Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression and depended on deceit, this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant.
"It will break in pieces like pottery, shattered so mercilessly that among its pieces not a fragment will be found for taking coals from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern."
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."
Some people’s lives look good to us on the outside. However, outward appearance may not reveal where the damage lies. To illustrate, a termite is a very small insect, like a very small sin. But over a period of time, that small insect multiplies and weakens the walls of a house. Even though it looks good on the outside, the house is getting weaker and will eventually fall. Likewise, a small sin in our life will multiply and weaken our wall of protection against Satan. It is only a matter of time before destruction appears.
To repair the damage caused by termites or sin requires reconstruction. Reconstruction is difficult, requiring all the damage to be removed. Repentance is like that. It requires all the sin to be removed. We would rather avoid that painful, soul searching process. We prefer to hear a pleasant word, and “whitewash over our sin.” We think if we look good on the outside that is good enough as we compare ourselves to each other.
Ezekiel 13:10-16
Because they lead my people astray, saying, "Peace," when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash.
Therefore, tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall.
Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth.
When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, "Where is the whitewash you covered it with?"
Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the LORD. So I will spend my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, 'The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace,'" declares the Sovereign LORD.
Therefore, we need to take an individual survey of the damage to our wall of protection that has been inflicted by sin and the enemy. Jesus Christ is our standard. Let’s look intently into His Word to see if there is any sin that will let the demonic forces ruin our life.
For protection, God gave us His Ten Commandments. They are not suggestions and they are not restrictions.
They are laws for blessing and protection from the evil one.
That is why the forces of darkness are so adamant against the display of the Ten Commandments. We are encouraged to ignore them as outdated and irrelevant to modern life.
We could take any part of the Bible and look intently at it and use it as a light to discover sin. But let’s start with these familiar Commandments and see what we may have missed, what may be hidden in our heart, and what may be causing us problems. We will take several weeks to examine ourselves in the light of these commandments and other Scriptures. I pray you will survey the damage in your life caused by sin instead of evaluating others or comparing yourself to them.
The first two commandments are in Exodus 20:1-6
And God spoke all these words:
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
"You shall have no other gods before me.
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
"You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."
At first glance, we usually think these commandments don’t pertain to us because we don’t recognize the other gods in our life.
Notice the word “before”. It has two meanings, which are both important.
"Before" can mean “in precedence”. Do you have anything in your life that competes with your love for God?
Some common gods we put before the LORD are pleasure, money, sports, recreation, work, family, friends, TV, entertainment, etc. Look closely. Is there any little god in your life that occasionally comes before the LORD?
"Before" can also mean “in My presence”. Do you have any gods in the LORD’s presence?
Before you answer, look at what God calls an idol—having the form of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters below.
I know a Christian family that had a 4-foot statue of Buddha in their home. They thought it was OK because they did not worship it. They were zealous in evangelism and leaders in their church. However, sin, Satan, and calamity struck their home, destroying their testimony. They had an idol in God’s presence and God did not protect them. Still, they hung onto their idol.
What about the things we possess in the form of heaven above, the earth beneath, or in the waters below? Common figurines are made to resemble angels, Mary, Jesus, Saints, animals, dolphins, etc. We call them decorations. People tell me they feel comforted by their presence.
Would we be willing to live without them if there was a chance they are offensive before God?
There is room for debate here, but seek God honestly and earnestly about the matter, because look at the punishment God pronounces for disobedience. God will be the judge of your decision, not me nor anyone else. But beware of where your heart lies.
If you cannot quickly say, “I will get rid of anything you find offensive LORD.”, then that thing--or that sin--you are unwilling to part with is an idol, a god before God Almighty. It will damage your spiritual wall and let the enemy into your life.
You may be thinking, “I never heard such teaching. Aren’t you being fanatical?”
Let God be my judge and yours, but I am reading God’s commandments and taking Him at His Word. Have you done that? Have you read and meditated and applied what God commands to your life?
His wisdom is higher than ours. There is a good reason for His commandment, and it was not just for them back in the old days. Idolatry is still in the heart of man today and Satan is still trying to get man to worship him or anything else besides the LORD. Obedience/disobedience will affect our lives and the generations following us.
The third commandment is in Exodus 20:7
"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
Quickly, we might excuse ourselves from breaking this commandment because we don’t use God’s name as a cuss word. While that is commendable, let us consider other ways might we misuse His Name.
For one example, we call ourselves "Christians", don’t we?
"Christian" means "Christ-like". Are we acting like Christ? Do we represent Him? Or have we taken His name in vain while we act like the ungodly?
Notice God does not hold anyone guiltless for misusing His Name. A Christian acting in disobedience to God’s Name is acting like the devil, not Christ. Moreover, disobedience will give the devil easy access through your spiritual wall, because you have not only let your wall down; you have invited him in to wreak havoc in your life.
The fourth commandment is in Exodus 20:8-11
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
"Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.
"On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.”
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.
Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Remember when our society used to try to obey this commandment? There were few stores open, no restaurants open, maybe a gas station and emergency and hospital workers were on duty, pharmacies took turns being open, but nothing like today where the day of rest/worship is treated like any other day.
God meant for the Sabbath, a day of rest, to be a blessing for man. Jesus said in Mark 2:27-28
"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."
Society may have changed, but we can still personally honor God one day a week, whatever day, by ceasing from work and by worshiping Him. God will honor those who honor Him. We will receive His blessings instead of the curses of Satan, who wants us to ignore a day of rest from our business to worship God. Regardless of what society does, commit to obey the Holy Spirit, and He will lead you as you keep the Sabbath holy.
For example, Eric Liddell was a missionary to China from Scotland, who competed as a runner in the 1924 Olympics. He was 19 years old and the fastest runner in the United Kingdom.
Although devoted to being a missionary, Eric felt God had given him a gift to run, and he should use it to glorify God. He said he felt God’s pleasure when he ran. Also, winning races gave him many opportunities to share his faith.
One of the things Eric told fellow youth was to honor God by keeping the Sabbath. To Eric, that meant not participating in any sport activities on that day. One may argue whether playing violate a day of rest, or not. Eric’s conviction was to show his love for God, obeying that command, not only by not competing, but also by not playing any sport, at all.
The test of his convictions would come after he qualified for the 1924 Olympics.
After 3 years of training for the 100-meter dash, the qualifying heat for that race would be held on a Sunday. He wanted to run, but he declined in order to honor God on Sunday. His team, England’s Olympic committee, and the Prince of Wales (who was heir to the throne) pressured this 19-year-old to change his mind--to do his patriotic duty to his country--by competing on Sunday.
In spite of that intense pressure, Eric put God before his king and his country, knowing he would be ridiculed for doing so and labeled a fanatic.
The world took notice of this young man, who had convictions and went against everyone else, including his nation’s king, to live by what he believed God commanded. Eric chose to go to Church that Sunday and preach instead of participating in his race.
As a result, God inspired a teammate to trade his Saturday position in the 400-meter race so the world could see Eric run—a different race on a different day.
Although Eric had run the 400 meters before, it was four times the distance, and he had not trained for it. Furthermore, he had to run 3 times that day to get to the finals.
Just before the final race, an American athlete gave Eric a note that said, “God honors those who honor Him.” Carrying the note with him, Eric amazed the world with a trouncing win.
Eric gave God the glory for his win and witnessed to the entire world by holding true to his conviction about the Sabbath. Following the Olympics, Eric went quietly back to China in missionary service, where he died during the Japanese occupation during WWII.
He was 40 years old. All of Scotland mourned his death.
Now, we must answer some important questions.
How will we honor God on the Sabbath? He has given it to us for a blessing, to rest, to rejuvenate our physical and spiritual life.
An even better question: How will you honor God with your life every day?
Is your spiritual wall intact, or are there noticeable holes and hidden weak places where the enemy has successfully attacked you?
What will you do to reconstruct and fortify your spiritual life?
We will pause our damage survey for today with these first four commandments, and resume with the fifth, next week. The first four pertain to our relationship to God and we need to carefully self-inspect to see if there is any little way we are not loving God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.
If and when we find some damage, we must repent, repair, and reconstruct that part of our life to God’s specifications. A wall reconstructed by the instructions of His Word will protect us from the enemy.
Maybe you have never begun building a wall because you have just lived for yourself. Are you an easy target for the enemy to run over because you have no defense? You may even be helping the enemy to destroy others’ lives. You could be on a road of destruction that leads to an eternal Hell, but you can change your destination today.
Wall-building begins with Jesus Christ as cornerstone. Everything in life must line up in obedience to His Word. Start today by publicly acknowledging Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, submitting to Him as Lord of your life. Your first act of obedience is to repent—turn away from sinning—and be baptized for the remission of your sins. Then you will receive a new life, born of the Holy Spirit of God, who will teach you how to build on Jesus and remain under His protection.
