From Cupbearer to Governor
Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Turn to Nehemiah 2:9-16.
During a fateful conversation with the king of Persia, Nehemiah requested permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He made his request with respect and humility. Permission was granted. Even more, God granted Nehemiah’s prayer request! Nehemiah recieved authority both to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and to serve as the governor over that region. It was obvious that God’s hand was upon this great endeavor. As Nehemiah trusted God, God continued to lead Nehemiah forward.
Introduction
Introduction
One name that you wouldn’t normally associate with the 1800’s is the name, Douglas MacArthur. Best known for his service during World War II, you may be surprised to hear that Douglas MacArthur was born in 1880.
Douglas graduated from West Point in 1903. He was first in his class. He would go on to serve during WWI and would achieve the rank of Brigadier General by 1918 - 38 years of age. He was one of the youngest generals in the US Army.
Before World War 2 broke out, Douglas MacArthur had already been appointed the Army Chief of Staff, the highest position in the army. He would go on to serve in the pacific theater during the second world war.
MacArthur’s promotions were exceptionally fast, and his influence in our armed forces extended from World War I to the Korean War, some of the most harrowing years in our nation’s military.
MacArthur’s rise was extraordinary, but so was Nehemiah’s. In the text that we are about to read this morning, the main character of this book goes From Cupbearer to Governor.
Read Nehemiah 2:9-16.
In the verses that we just read, Nehemiah embarks on his life’s work and the primary events that this book is all about. Along the way, Nehemiah shows us some remarkable lessons on leadership.
Next slide here:
Stepping through open doors - Nehemiah 2:9.
At least two months pass by in verse nine as Nehemiah travels from Shushan to Jerusalem. We know this because of the timestamp that Nehemiah gives us in Nehemiah 6:15.
Show map of Nehemiah’s journey
Nehemiah had reached the point where the talking was done and it was time for action. Nehemiah had prayed for this moment. He had planned for this moment. The king had granted him this moment. God had opened the doors to make it possible. Now it was time for Nehemiah to set out for Jerusalem and to put his words into action. Without delay, Governor Nehemiah and his military escort began the trip to Jerusalem. They covered ground quickly because he and probably his entire entourage were on horseback.
Application: At some point, Christian, you just have to set out and do what God has called you to do. True leadership means rejecting passivity. It requires more than talk; it requires stepping out and putting your words into action. You can find people enough who can make speeches or talk like they have big ideas, but its difficult to find people who will do the hard work of putting their ideas into action. It’s harder to find people who will actually be committed.
Nehemiah is the perfect example of how to go from words to actions. The pattern is this: you have to get alone with God and get a real good understanding of what God wants you to do. Pray about it. Plan for it. Do everything you can to prepare for God’s blessing. Then when God opens the doors, don’t hesitate to step through. Launch out! Go do it. Don’t let fear or passivity keep you from the will of God. There was probably a time or two on Nehemiah’s trip that he was tempted to think, “what on earth am I doing?! Why am I getting myself involved in this mess?!”
That’s when you have to push those ideas from your mind and go back to those times in prayer when God made His will clear in the first place.
As Nehemiah went from Cupbearer to Governor, we find him stepping through the open doors.
Secondly, we find Nehemiah…
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Sizing up the rapid resistance - Nehemiah 2:10.
Read Nehemiah 2:10, 19.
Besides Nehemiah, three fellows are seen perhaps more than anyone else in the rest of this book. They’re the antagonists of the story who oppose Nehemiah at every turn.
Sanballat’s name roughly translates to “the god Sin gives life.” This was a non-Israelite name, but the evidence suggests that he was an Israelite.
Tobiah’s name roughly means “pleasing to Jehovah”, but he was an Ammonite, one of the sworn enemies of the Jews. Tobiah would prove true to that heritage as he resisted Nehemiah’s efforts.
Geshem is described by multiple writers simply as an Arabian ruler who governed an area to the southeast of Judah.
Application: When you step out to do the will of God, expect resistance. When you step up to be a leader, expect resistance. Why? Because we have an enemy, who like a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour. Resistance may take on many different forms. Certainly, it could be human adversaries like this, but not always.
Inward turmoil, fear and doubt
Sickness/Fatigue
Adverse circumstances
Friends and family
I point you to the example of Job. Job chapter one indicates that Job was doing the will of God. He was the spiritual leader of his family and he took that role very seriously. But over a period of time, Satan tempted Job in every one of those ways that I just named.
Christian, when you’re trying to do the will of God for your life, don’t be surprised when you start feeling the resistance.
Men, if you’re going to be the leader that God has called you to be - in the home, in the church, or just as a faithful man of God living in a secular community - hear me, if you’re going to be a righteous leader, then expect resistance.
Satan will make sure of it. Be ready. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Be 100% dependent upon Him for strength. Put on the whole armor of God. Grow up and be a mature Christian.
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Securing a few days of rest - Nehemiah 2:11.
I’ll be the first to acknowledge, the verse doesn’t say what Nehemiah did when he got to Jerusalem. But I ask you: what would you be doing after travelling more than 1000 miles on horseback for two months?
Show map of Nehemiah’s journey
What’s interesting is that Ezra, when he made close to the same journey about twelve years earlier, he did the same thing when he arrived at Jerusalem.
Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way. And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.
It’s possible that Nehemiah took some time over those three days to think, pray, and get acquainted with the Jews in Jerusalem. One writer suggested those very ideas. However, I think its best to assume that the primary thing Nehemiah did for those three days was rest. That would have been the most reasonable thing to do after such a journey.
Application: Christian, don’t be afraid to rest. To be a good leader you must know when you and those following you need to rest.
Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.
There is nothing spiritual about chronically overworking yourself. There is nothing spiritual about refusing to rest. It seems that Nehemiah rested here before launching into a building program on the city walls.
You need to rest. It is essential for your health - physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
That said, there’s such a careful balance that needs to be followed in this. Some of us, our tendency is to overwork. Others of us, our tendency is to be lazy. I caution you to maintain a careful balance. A good leader is neither a workaholic or lazy.
“What does a good balance look like?”
Look to Jesus. Look at the life of our Savior. Did He ever get tired? Sure. Did He ever have long days of ministry healing the sick and teaching His disciples? Certainly. But He knew when to minister to the multitudes and He knew when it was time to send them away so that He could get alone in the mountain with His Father and there find a place of rest.
If you’re going to be a leader, then you must be willing to rest.
The fourth thing we find Nehemiah doing is…
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Surveying while others are sleeping - Nehemiah 2:12–16.
Have you ever been driving down the road and come across a guy or two that was out surveying? Did you ever wonder what it was like to have that job? I remember as a child watching surveyors do their work. It seemed the strangest thing. I would watch them setup a tripod with a scope on top, and then peer through that scope for what felt like was the longest time. Then they would write some notes and look through the scope some more. Eventually they would move to another location and repeat the process all over again. It always seemed strange to me.
Nehemiah wasn’t doing exactly that, but he did do a bit of surveying.
Read Nehemiah 2:12-16.
Why did he go at night time? I guess that is the big question. Perhaps he wasn’t ready for others to know his plans just yet. That could have been true of Sanballat and it could have been the leaders of the Jews.
Whatever Nehemiah’s motivation, he went out to do some surveying while others were sleeping. This is somewhat the opposite of verse 11.
In verse eleven, it appears that Nehemiah rested.
In verses 12-16, Nehemiah worked while others slept.
Application: There’s a place for both. There’s a time to rest, and there’s a time to work when others are not working. Good leaders know when each is necessary.
In order for Nehemiah to rebuild the walls, he needed to do some surveying. He needed to have a plan. But that meant doing some work late at night. It meant some inconvenience. It meant some difficulty. Surveying the city wouldn’t be as easy as when it was daytime, but it had to be done.
Application: Christian, being a leader will sometimes mean surveying while others are sleeping. It will mean some late nights. It will mean some extra work. It will require you to do some planning. Count the cost before you sign up to be a leader. Count the cost before you make that big purchase. Count the cost before you enroll in that college. Count the cost before you get married. Count the cost before you start to lead a family. Count the cost before you start that business. Count the cost before you sign up to serve the Lord in that capacity. Because being a good leader is hard work.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Nehemiah went through an extraordinary transition in this chapter. It all began when he began stepping through open doors. He set a course to do what God wanted him to do.
Not long after, he felt the resistance. Resistance, in all its forms, is certain, but that didn’t stop Nehemiah. Remember, Christian: greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
He secured a few days rest and this prepared him to survey the walls while others were sleeping.
This was Nehemiah’s journey From Cupbearer To Governor.
