Rebuilding Hope - part 3: All In!

Nehemiah 2:9–20 ESV

Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work. Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”

Introduction: I have with me today an Acorn. Each acorn has one seed, although occasionally there will be one with 2-3 seed. The white acorn tree produces it’s first crop of acorns after about 20 years and reaches it’s peak production at about 50 years. One oak tree can produce up to 2,000 acorns per year but only 1 in 10,000 acorns actually manage to become trees.

It amazes me that from this seed, there springs forth a huge, strong, beautiful oak tree capable of living for hundreds of years through all types of weather. In order for it to grow however, it must come into contact with fertile, moist soil. Otherwise, it will never be anything other than an acorn. It will literally sit and rot or be eaten by squirrels.

Vision is like this acorn. It too is a living seed. It must be planted and allowed to germinate in the fertile heart soil of leaders. Otherwise, it will either rot or be devoured by the enemy of our souls and be lost forever. Nehemiah knew that he could not keep the vision that God had laid on his heart to himself. So he brought the vision before the key leaders in Jerusalem. He was seeking to establish a partnership with the people so that the vision could become a reality.

THE SITUATION INVESTIGATED (vv. 12-16)

Nehemiah had only heard about the situation in Jerusalem up until this point, now he got to see and evaluate things with hsi own eyes. His evaluation was thorough. He went out by night to personally inspect the ruins.

If God is going to do something through you, he has to first get to you! God was getting to Nehemiah. He went out to weep over the ruins.

Illus. Alan Redpath, “Whenever a real work of God is to be done – a real work, not something

superficial, but real – some faithful, burdened servant has to take a journey such as Nehemiah

took, to weep in the night over the ruins, to wrestle in some dark Gethsemane in prayer. It is

utter folly to refuse to believe that things are as bad as they really are.

Evaluation is essential for our education when it comes to implementing God’s vision.

We must observe carefully.

We must ask the hard questions even if the answers are painful.

We must answer honestly.

In verses 13 & 15, the word that is translated “viewed” in the KJV and “Inspected” in the ESV means to probe a wound, like a doctor would, to see the extent of the damage.

We need to carefully evaluate the ministries and programs of the church to see if they are helping us do three things:

Exalt the Savior

Equip the Saints

Evangelize the Sinner

THE VISION IMPARTED (VV. 17-18)

4 months of prayer and seeking God, 3 months of travel, and 3 days of rest and evaluation all culminate in this moment where the people assemble to hear what Nehemiah had to say.

Nehemiah begins by defining the problem – “Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned.”

This was not news to the people there; the city had been in that condition for over 100 years.”

BUT Sometimes the most obvious things are the hardest to see.

People passed by these walls and gates daily but some how the condition of the walls was just part of the background noise.

It is possible to become used to the status quo, to accept it as normal. A friend of mine says that the definition for Status Quo is this: “the mess we are in.”

It is possible for a church to get used to only having an occasional visitor, a handful of baptisms, 12 o’clock dismissals and sound-bite epistles and services where inspiration doesn’t lead to transformation, but is that God’s idea of what a church should be doing?

Nehemiah delivered a solution – “Let us build the wall of Jerusalem.”

You are probably thinking, Duh! That was obvious. But it is always easier to see the solution when you are standing outside of the problem.

This was more than a mere statement of need, it was a Mission statement backed by a God-given vision – it looked ahead to the future to see a rebuilt wall, a secure city, and a restored people.

Vision is about the ideal future. It is about that which is possible and desirable.

Nehemiah drew attention to why the vision was needed. (So we may no longer suffer derision.) Keep in mind that this was about more than just rebuilding a wall. It was about reversing years of shame and derision from the surrounding neighbors and the enemies of God’s people.

THE PEOPLE INVESTED (V. 18)

While God’s vision often comes through one leader, the work is carried out through many people! (Many hands make light work?) (Illus. Amish barn raising)

The people were receptive (Let us rise up and build)

At my Daughter’s school, they have a motto: All In! It comes from the game of poker and it means that everything you have is being put in the pot to bet. No turning back. Make it or break it.

Luke 9:62 ESV

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The people were responsive (they strengthened their hands [Courage])

The people didn’t say to Nehemiah, “Great idea brother…we will be praying for you and cheering you on from the sidelines.”

This was exhausting work that was ahead of them.

Galatians 6:9 ESV

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

It required them set aside differences and to cooperate.

The people were willing to take a risk.

THE OPPOSITION INTENSIFIED (VV. 10, 19-20)

You can bet that the enemy will seek to destroy whatever God wants to build up.

John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

David Guzik wrote: “Notice when this opposition came: not at the heart stage, not at the vision stage, not at the prayer stage, not at the planning stage, but when progress came in doing something.”

Nehemiah 2:10 ESV

But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.

Nehemiah 2:19 ESV

But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

So we are introduced to these two scoundrels at the beginning for the passage that I read today. These two are the ring leaders of the opposition to what Nehemiah had been commissioned to do. We are going to talk more about them next week.

Sanballat was likely the Governor of Samaria. Tobiah was a man of prominance in the city of Ammon. It didn’t take them long after hearing word of Nehemiah’s plans to begin plotting and recruiting. They recruited another governor named Geshem. They began their effort to stop Nehemiah through criticism and ridicule.

The long and short if it, Nehemiah was not intimidated by them at all.

Nehemiah 2:20 ESV

Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”

If God is in it, the enemy won’t win it.