There Came a Man
Nehemiah (2025) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Intro
Intro
9 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. 11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
Here we have the first introduction into the opposition of Nehemiah…
This was an outward opposition…
When they “heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man…”
<<PRAY>>
Context:
Israel is God’s chosen people
The nation of Israel sinned, mingled with the people God told them not to and began worshipping their gods as a result
Jerusalem was once a mighty nation under the reign of King David or King Solomon…
But because of their sin, God gave them into the hand of the Babylonians…
This began the nations 70 year captivity in Babylon…
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged Jerusalem, destroyed the temple (place of worship), destroyed their homes (place of comfort) and destroyed the walls that surrounded Jerusalem (the security and protection of Jerusalem)
Now after 70 years has been accomplished, King Cyrus of Persia overtook Babylon and allowed the Israelites to return to Jerusalem…
Only a remnant returned to Jerusalem…
In Nehemiah 1, a person named Hanani went to Nehemiah and told him (1:3) “…The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.”
Nehemiah:
Sat down, wept, mourned certain days and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven...
Nehemiah had a deep burden and distress toward this news… He wasn’t okay with the fact that Jerusalem was a desolation and what once was is now broken down… He wasn’t okay with the fact that the beauty, majesty and worship of a once prominent city of his forefathers was left in destruction for the enemy to attack and manipulate however they saw fit…
Nehemiah remained in this condition for 4 months… 120 days (months Chisleu to the month Nisan)
Have you ever been burdened about something and prayed to God for a long period of time and not receive an answer?
God may not answer in a hurry, but God always answers on time
Nehemiah was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes in Shushan the Palace… about 900 miles away from Jerusalem…
Nehemiah was sad in the presence of the king, which was something you do not do…
The king asked him about it and Nehemiah explained, (2:3) “…why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?”
Nehemiah’s request to the king was to “send him” so he could “build it”…
The king granted Nehemiah’s request and sent him, but there was a greater king than King Artaxerxes at work here…
8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
1. Nehemiah had a Desire to Go “SEND ME”
1. Nehemiah had a Desire to Go “SEND ME”
5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
Send me
That I may build it
Nehemiah has the burden to rebuild… the vision to rebuild.. the permission to rebuild and the provision to rebuild…
But nothing gets rebuilt unless Nehemiah goes…
The remnant left in Jerusalem certainly wasn’t putting forth the effort to rebuild those walls...
The walls of Jerusalem would have stayed in a state of destruction had he not went…
Before we become too harsh of critics on the remnant back in Jerusalem, remember that they:
At least came back to Jerusalem where they belonged
There was a majority of the people who remained in Babylon and Persia in captivity…
They became cozy and comfy in captivity…
They enjoyed too much the benefits of Babylon…
They either didn’t care or didn’t any part in the restoration of Jerusalem to what it was or should be… They were content hanging out in captivity and simply surviving…
We often become content just hanging out in captivity to our sin… or we get comfortable in the pleasures of Babylon…
At least that way we don’t have to fight… We can just survive, but never thrive for the kingdom of God…
You’ll never thrive or accomplish what the Lord wants you to accomplish while you’re busy hanging out in the comforts of captivity…
BUT Nehemiah had a desire to go…
“SEND ME”
“THAT I MAY BUILD”
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
“HERE AM I; SEND ME.”
I think of David who volunteered to fight Goliath there in that valley and stated, “Is there not a cause?”
The same as when Nehemiah said, “…why should not my countenancer be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?”
Not too many people are volunteering to go to the front lines of the battlefield of the Christian life today…
Many are content in the comfort of captivity…
2. Nehemiah had a Disagreeable opposition
2. Nehemiah had a Disagreeable opposition
10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
Nehemiah had opposition to the work of the Lord before he ever even made it to Jerusalem…
Sanballat and Tobiah would have been okay to have these walls be in ruin and disrepair forever…
Notice how Sanballat and Tobiah had an issue with the man from 900 miles away, but there didn’t seem to be any issue with the people who were already in Jerusalem…
When King Nebuchadnezzar “heard” the three Hebrew children would not bow to him because they chose to obey God over man, he was furious…
When Haman “heard” Mordecai refused to bow to him to reserve that reverence for God only, he was furious…
What did Nehemiah do to make these men so angry (grieved them exceedingly)???????
He came…
The opposition would not have been grieved exceedingly and caused several series of events of opposition for Nehemiah had he not come to Jerusalem…
There would not have been any fighting, disagreements, discouragements or distractions had Nehemiah stayed in the comfort of captivity…
He could have remained in the palace in Shushan and continued living in the benefits of the kingdom as cupbearer to Artaxerxes…
But the opposition arose because… He came to Jerusalem…
I imagine the remnant and the rest of Israel was pretty happy that Nehemiah chose to come to Jerusalem…
And the Israelites were happy that a Moses came and freed them from slavery…
The Israeli army was thankful and blessed that David came and slew the giant and saved them from slavery…
Or the Ninevites were probably pretty happy that a Jonah finally came and preached repentance even though he hated them…
And the Jews and Gentiles were probably pretty happy that the Apostle Paul stopped his destruction of the kingdom of God and turned it into construction for the kingdom of God to reach many people…
I’m certainly thankful for Jesus coming to die on a cross for me and I’m thankful that He’s coming back for me as well…
Jesus didn’t have to come… but he looked down on a people in need of a Savior, He came… died a horrific death on the cross for all mankind…
I imagine there’s a grateful people in:
Guyana today for a Rob and Arianna Woodard who went…
Or some Taiwanese people who are grateful for the Cullers’ family who went…
Or some Congolese people who are thankful for the Caviness family who went…
There are some Thai people in Thailand who are grateful for the Ballou family who went…
Or some Cambodians who are grateful for the Benefields who went…
Or some Ugandans who are grateful for the Turners and Stensaas families who went…
The list goes on and on… the POINT is:
There is opposition in the work of God… but there are also a grateful people who are thankful that you someone came…
Someone Cared
“I was lost without a hope of being found… to sin I was a servant, I was bound… Life was going nowhere, no matter what I tried… I searched for peace, but nothing satisfied… Then someone cared, enough to bring the truth to me, someone cared, and now my soul is free… I know it wasn’t easy, to be bold enough to share, I’m so glad, someone cared… Others too are searching for salvation full and free… and wants somebody to tell them of the Christ of calvary… the debt is paid already and the message must be shared… does anybody care?… Someone cared, enough to bring the truth to me, someone cared, and now my soul is free…. I know it wasn’t easy, to be bold enough to share, but I’m so glad, someone cared…
Aren’t you glad someone cared enough about you to tell you what true salvation is?
By faith alone (not of works)
By the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus
“If you are finding yourself assaulted by any of these enemies today, don’t give up. It may be that the very reason you are encountering opposition is because you are effectively serving the Lord.”
Challenge:
Will you go? or are you committed to remaining in the comfort of your captivity…
Will you send? or are you committed to remaining int he comfort of your palace while the walls are broken down in mission fields across the world?
