Nehemiah: A Man Of Character
Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Turn to Nehemiah 5
In Nehemiah 5:1-13, Nehemiah showed incredible leadership as he took action to right a grave injustice. When he heard how the rulers and nobles were taking advantage of their poorer Jewish brethren, he didn’t ignore the problem. Instead, his heart was moved. He was very angry, but his response was careful. He thought it over, got the facts, prayed about it, searched the Scriptures, and planned his response. Only then did he rebuke the nobles. Nehemiah’s leadership restored unity and ensured that construction would continue.
Introduction
Introduction
Read Nehemiah 5:14-19
Read slowly:
In the passage that I just read, Nehemiah rehearses a history of how he conducted himself as governor. He refers back to the twentieth year of Artaxerxes. That was the year Nehemiah began his story in chapter one, but he wrote these verses from the perspective of twelve years later. What was going on here?
We have three references that help us understand the timeline here and that put verses 14-19 in context.
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Nehemiah 1:1 - “Chisleu/Kislev” - December, 445 BC - Nehemiah hears about Jerusalem
Nehemiah 2:1 - “Nisan” - April, 444 BC - Nehemiah speaks with the king
Nehemiah 6:15 - “Elul” - September, 444 BC - the walls are rebuilt in 52 days
Nehemiah chapter five is right in the middle of that timeline. Not even one year had passed since the events of chapter one began, much less, the twelve years that Nehemiah references in verse 14. It seems that Nehemiah later inserted the information of verses 14-19 into the narrative because it was relevant in this way:
Read slowly:
While the rulers took advantage of their poorer Jewish brethren, Nehemiah proved that he was a man of character.
There are several ways that he did this.
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Nehemiah was a man who waived what was rightfully his - Nehemiah 5:14-15
I imagine that just about every man in this room knows what its like the day after a big holiday meal. Everyone has eaten. Everyone has been filled to their heart’s desire. But sitting quietly in the fridge is that one last slice of pie.
You know its lonely, and you can practically hear it calling your name!
Now by rights, men, that slice of pie is yours! You’re the man of the house, right? I mean, there are a dozen ways that you could justify consuming that last slice of pie.
Read slowly:
Sometimes, though, the “dad” voice in my head reminds me that there are four bottomless pits with legs that run around my house. They’d like a bite of that slice of pie too. And they like to remind me of it - loud and clear!
Nehemiah was a man who waived what was rightfully his. He didn’t demand the food and tax support that was rightfully his. He didn’t demand that last slice of pie, if you will. By way of his position as governor, he had every right to demand these things, but he refused to do so.
Application: Men, do you ever lay aside your rights?Do you ever deny yourself something for the sake of your Savior and for the benefit of others? It might be yours, but a man of character doesn’t always demand his rights.
Paul tells us in Philippians chapter two that we are to have the mind of Christ.
Our Savior knew that He was God in the flesh. He knew that He was equally God with His Father, so what did He do? Did He demand His rights? No,
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
That’s the mindset of our Savior. That’s what He taught on the sermon on the mount.
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Men, when it comes to the needs of your family, versus the fun of your hobbies: what has a higher priority? How much time do you spend on TV instead of investing in your relationship with your wife?
“Well, Pastor Tim. I just came home from a hard day of work. I’m tired. That’s my right.”
It might be your house and it might be your TV. But just because its your right doesn’t always make it right.
While the the former governors of the land put a heavy burden of taxation on the people, Nehemiah was a man who waived what was rightfully his.
Secondly,
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Nehemiah was a man who placed himself under the authority of God - Nehemiah 5:15
Read Nehemiah 5:15
This really explains the reason why Nehemiah didn’t demand his rights. He didn’t lord over the people as their governor; he put himself in his proper place under the authority of God.
There are several eastern North Carolina pastors that will always hold a special place in my heart because of the lessons that they taught me. One of those pastors was a man named Dwight Williams.
Pastor Williams went home to be with the Lord in the last year or so, but he touched countless lives over roughly 48 years of pastoral ministry. He was one of the sweetest, kindest men you could ever meet.
There was something that made his ministry rather unique. Forty of those years in pastoral ministry were spent serving under another man. You see, Pastor Williams felt called of the Lord to serve as the associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in New Bern, NC, under the leadership of Pastor Bill Wingard. Forty years of ministry as a “second man” is almost unheard of in our day. Pastor Williams was a model Christian who knew what it meant to submit himself to the authority of God by serving under and alongside someone else.
That’s how Nehemiah lived! He was governor! He had tremendous power, but he didn’t abuse it! How different our government would be today if all our politicians lived by this rule!
Read slowly:
Application: How different our nation would be today if all our men would humbly lead their families in the same manner!
Men, you may be called of God to lead your wife and family, but don’t think of yourself as being the top dog on the food chain. The reality is, you have to bow the knee before your Savior just like everybody else. Humble leadership, servant leadership, is the only biblical kind of leadership.
If pastors aren’t allowed to lord over the flock, which is God’s heritage, then neither are husbands and fathers to lord over the family that God has entrusted to their care. By love, serve one another.
Nehemiah was a man who placed himself under the authority of God.
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Nehemiah was a man who shared in the work - Nehemiah 5:16
Read Nehemiah 5:16
One man said of Nehemiah and his servants,
They were not advisors who occasionally emerged from their ivory towers, but workers who stood with the people in the construction and defense of the city.
Wiersbe, Warren W.. Be Determined (Nehemiah): Standing Firm in the Face of Opposition (The BE Series Commentary) (p. 79). (Function). Kindle Edition.
Application: Maybe we don’t have ivory towers, but guys sometimes we have our man cave or some other place of retreat that we run to when we ought to be out sharing in the work.
I was very close to my Grandpa and Grandma Brubaker. I was raised a short five minute drive away from where they lived. We attended the same church together, and since we went every time the doors were open, by default, we saw each other at least three times a week - often more.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that I grew very close to my grandparents. When I grew a little older I spent many a night having sleepovers at my grandparent’s house and as I spent more time over over there, I gradually came to realize how much my grandpa helped my grandma. Grandpa Brubaker did nearly all of the laundry in their house. Early on in their marriage he was stationed in Alaska as a chef in the Army during the Korean War. My grandma was an amazing cook, but that culinary experience led him to help out in the cooking in their house as well. To my knowledge, there was no menial labor that was beneath my grandpa and I came to admire him for it.
Application: Guys, my point is simply this: don’t be the kind of man that locks himself away all day in escapism and pleasure. Involve yourself in the work. Involve yourself in your family. Be like Nehemiah and live and work alongside them. Nehemiah was a man who shared in the work.
Fourthly,
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Nehemiah was a man who was generous - Nehemiah 5:17-18
Read Nehemiah 5:17-18
You don’t have to be around me very long to realize that I like a big spread of food and I’ve seen some good ones.
However, I’ve never sat down to a meal like Nehemiah offered every day at dinner time.
He says, “that which was prepared for me daily was…
One ox - you could stop right there and that would be good enough for me. In my world, a ribeye a day is what keeps the doctor away. But that wasn’t all.
Six choice sheep - Nehemiah’s table featured the best leg of lamb in town.
If that didn’t suit your fancy, there were other cuts of meat as well.
Different kinds of fowl were prepared for Nehemiah also.
To wash it all down, he had “all sorts of wine” verse eighteen says. Now it would be hard to believe that this was the alcoholic stuff and that Nehemiah and his work crew were having a party and drinking every night after work. There’s no way the walls would have gotten built in 52 days at that rate. This was the non-alcoholic wine that was typical in that region.
At the end of verse eighteen Nehemiah reminds us that “for all this required not I the bread of the governor.” In other words, he picked up the tab for every meal. He paid for it out of his own pocket. Different commentators estimate that this would have been enough food to feed anywhere from 500-800 people, not just the 150 Jews and officials mentioned in verse 17. I can imagine that the Jews working on the wall were daily guests at Nehemiah’s table.
Altogether, a clear picture emerges from this description: Nehemiah was a man who was generous.
Application: What kind of man are you? Maybe you can’t provide an ox to feed a small army every day, but you can be generous by giving to others your time and your abilities.
I’d like to pause and say that this year I have seen several of you guys step up and do exactly that - more than any other year. Whether its been here around the church or on behalf of others in the church, you’ve been generous with your time and abilities. Projects are getting done and needs are being met. More guys than ever are helping out with the mowing and upkeep around here. I have seen it, and I am deeply grateful. but even more, God has seen it.
That leads us to our final point:
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Nehemiah was a man motivated by eternal reward - Nehemiah 5:19
It’s amazing to see what a little bit of motivation can do. Our kids are just like any other kids in that sometime they struggle to help pick up the house. I can watch them play hard for hours but then when the word is mentioned that its time to clean up its like all energy is immediately sucked out of their little bodies. They’ll fall limp on the floor, exhausted by their play. But you know what my wife and I have found? All you have to do is say two words and it’s like they come back to life again. What are those two words? It’s very simple. All I have to say is “ice cream” and most time it’s like they turn into the energizer bunny. It’s pretty awesome.
Read Nehemiah 5:19
In essence, Nehemiah says, “Lord, remember me. Remember what I’ve done for your people and reward me for it. Nehemiah shared in the work because he was hopefuly that the Lord would reward him one day.
Application: If only we were as motivated by eternal reward as little kids are motivated by some ice cream.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Fellas, what kind of man are you committed to be?
Are you going to be a man who waives his rights for the sake of our Savior?
Are you going to be a man who is submitted to the authority of God?
Are you going to be a man who shares in the work?
Are you going to be a man who is generous?
Are you going to be a man motivated by eternal reward?
This Father’s Day, commit yourself to the Lord to be like this extraordinary man. Nehemiah: a man of character.
Invitation
Invitation
