The Prophet: 52 days!
The heart of a prophet - Book of Nehemiah • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsAim: To look at the completion of the wall in 52 days!
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Heart of the Prophet
Heart of the Prophet
Asked
Prayed
Planned
Asked boldly
Participated
Fought, encouraged
Completed God’s task
Nehemiah had a heart of a servant and by his example we have learned much.
It is troublous times prophesy is fulfilled (Dan9:25)
25 “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.
Tempted, tried, tested, but they did not stop, they did not give up and now the wall is complete! That is what we are looking at this evening.
Even in victory we need to be prepared for Satan to look for that “more opportune time.” (ref: Lk4:13) and do as A. Bonar said:
“Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle.”
I love what Wiersbe had to say:
“If you can’t see Satan working, it’s probably because he has gone underground. Actually, we are safer when we can see him at work than when his agents are concealed. Open opposition is good for God’s work and God’s workers becasue it keeps us alert and trusting the Lord. ‘Watch and pray!’ was certainly one of Nehemiah’s chief admonitions to his people (ref: Neh4:9)
9 But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.
(Transition): You will see some opposition, secret opposition that Satan uses, used during this rebuilding project in our passage tonight.
Completing the wall passage
Completing the wall passage
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
17 Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
19 Moreover, they were speaking about his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
What do you notice in this passage?
What details, facts do you find in (vv.15-16)?
Wall completed 25th of month of Elul in 52 days
Enemies lost their confidence for they knew this happened with the help of God.
Just staying to facts, what facts do you see (vv.17-18)?
In those days there were many letters from nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and from Tobiah to the nobles
Many had oaths to Tobiah and were bound to him because of his marriage family.
Yet, a little more facts to pull from (v.19)?
They (nobles of Judah) were speaking of his (Tobiah’s) good deeds in his (Nehemiah’s) presence.
They reported to Tobiah everything that Nehemiah said
Tobiah sent letters to frighten Nehemiah.
The wall is completed!
The wall is completed!
15 So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. 16 When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.
52 days to completion
100 years of broken down walls
Along came a man who went further then just seeing the problem but engaging in solving the problem
Prayer, plan, asking boldly, went, fought, encouraged, stood strong, worked, and stay to task until it was completed and got others to partner with him to do it.
At first Nehemiah heard of the need, spent 4-months in prayer (Neh1:1-2:1). Yet the work that had been hindered for 100 years was completed in 52 days! More time in prayer than in the actual work. Do we labor in prayer enough?
It was a glorious thing to see the disenfranchised enemies. God and his people were victorious! and the others knew it.
When God is in the work people notice.
Guzik “Many of us live Christian lives that no one takes notice of, because our walls are broken down. Let the Lord do a building work, and others will take notice.”
Work completed in spite of “nobles.”
Work completed in spite of “nobles.”
17 During those fifty-two days, many letters went back and forth between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah. 18 For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him because his father-in-law was Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan was married to the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.
19 They kept telling me about Tobiah’s good deeds, and then they told him everything I said. And Tobiah kept sending threatening letters to intimidate me.
The work was completed despite some who were friends with the enemy Tobiah.
A reminder of who Tobiah is
He stood in opposition with Sanballat against the wall being rebuilt (2:10)
He mocked the work (2:19, 4:3)
Was angry about the work (4:7)
Was a tool to try to stop the work (6:1-2)
Knowing the history of Tobiah, yet many nobles were pledged to him.
Many had family ties in Judah to him through his marriage.
Many spoke well of Tobiah, of his good deeds. Nehemiah had discernment and saw beyond the surface deeds to the heart of the man.
Many reported his good deeds to Nehemiah, and Nehemiah's words to Tobiah
Without a doubt some looked at Nehemiah as the guilty party. They thought Tobiah’s deeds were good, and Nehemiah had prayed for His downfall
4 Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.
Nehemiah was willing to be looked at as wrong, as bad when he was right for God and doing God’s work. He did not care what others thought, only what God thought!
Nehemiah did not waste any time being filled with fear, or fretting over trying to change the mind of the nobles and did not even respond to the letters.
How about we still have some time this evening, consider these things.
Do not always believe what you read or hear about Christian leaders, check it out, check the documentation to prove what is being said.
Be careful of what you see, read in media who is not “pro-Christian” these days.
Even the religious press can be guilty of bias and do not speak the truth in love (ref: Eph4:15)
Jews were going against Jews, their own brothers, heritage for a profit.
“The bonds of human connection were stronger than the bonds of spiritual affection.”
We cannot be too quick to judge the nobles, here, we need some self examination too.
Are we totally yielded and in obedience to the Lord?
Do we allow human relationships (influence) to overrule Godly direction (commands)?
Can we too forsake the truth, the law and praise the wicked?
4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But those who keep the law strive with them.
May we be ones to remember
1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
May we not be blinded by lies
20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Do your actions give endorcement that something that God abhors?
Be sure to check what you are being taught against the word for look what Jeremiah said
30 “An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?
From the inquiring
To the praying
To the asking
To the going
to the strengthening
To the building, now to
The completion, but there is more to come on how to protect the finished work!