Standing For The Good And Right
Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Turn to Nehemiah 13
In the first nine verses of this chapter, we learned that Nehemiah left Jerusalem after serving there for twelve years. Spiritual decline set in during his absence and it was most evident in the religious leadership of the high priest, Eliashib. Eliashib ignored God’s Word and allowed Tobiah the Ammonite to take up residence within the Temple compound. Nehemiah eventually returned and discovered this gross sin.
What was significant about all of this was the degree to which Nehemiah was grieved! It pained Nehemiah to see His God so disregarded!
God used that passage to remind us that one of our greatest needs is to be grieved by our own sin.
Introduction
Introduction
Read Nehemiah 13:10-14
Last week I had an amazing opportunity to go on a fishing trip with some friends of mine that I met while working for Walmart Logistics several years ago. After spending day with some family friends in Jacksonville, NC, I drove to the Outer Banks of NC to where we were staying on Hatteras Island. I can’t tell you enough how refreshing it was. But I can tell you that it was an answer to prayer and was simply wonderful in so many ways.
I went out there to go on a fishing trip with my friends. What that meant was nearly every morning, we loaded up in our pickup trucks and drove out on the beach, found a spot that we liked, and fished the surf for a couple of hours.
Now one of the most valuable things that I learned from my friends was how to read the ocean and figure where it was shallow water versus where it was deep water. The rule of thumb is that you want to fish the deep water because that is where the bigger predator fish will be located.
Shallow water: where the water curls up and crashes into the surf and forms that white water with all the air bubbles in it.
Deep water: where the water simply raises up and down but does not form the roller that crashes into the surf.
I learned from my friends how to discern the shallow water from the deep water.
Here in our text, Nehemiah discerned something else.
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He discerned a problem - Nehemiah 13:10
Verse thirteen tells us what the problem was. The Jewish people had stopped giving tithes and offerings to support the Levites and singers in their temple ministry.
The people were supposed to be doing this.
Read Nehemiah 12:47
Here’s what happened: the people gave tithes and offerings while Nehemiah governed the region, but they stopped sometime after he left Jerusalem.
Of course, the levites and singers had to provide for their families somehow, so they had to leave the temple and farm their lands to provide food for their families. This lead to the temple worship being neglected.
Read Nehemiah 13:11
Nehemiah noticed all of this. He discerned the problem because he had a good understanding of what God commanded the people to do.
Application: If you want to be more discerning between truth and error, if you want your spiritual senses elevated, if you want your sense of right and wrong to be sharpened, get in the Word of God.
Nehemiah knew the law. He knew what God commanded regarding tithes and offerings. Consequently, when he came back to Jerusalem, he quickly saw the problem. Discernment is the result of a teachable heart that is saturated with the Scriptures.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
Moreover by them is thy servant warned: And in keeping of them there is great reward.
The entrance of thy words giveth light; It giveth understanding unto the simple.
Nehemiah discerned the error because Nehemiah saturated his thinking and life with the Scriptures.
But there’s a second application I want to touch on from this text and it is this: when the people gave, the levites and the singers were supported to do the temple ministry.
Application: I count it one of my greatest honors that I get to serve as a pastor full time and its all made possible because you people faithfully give. Because of you, I get to study the Scriptures, spend time in prayer, conduct personal Bible studies, and do all of the other things that a pastor does. I just wanted to say “Thank you” for giving to support the needs of our local church.
Nehemiah discerned a problem, secondly…
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He picked a fight with the powerful - Nehemiah 13:11-12
When you stop and think about it, that doesn’t seem to be the most intelligent thing to do.
For example, in our day and age, parents don’t usually encourage their kids to go up against the playground bully at school.
Parents usually tell their kids to avoid them. Nehemiah here didn’t find the nearest exit, he found the fight and ran straight into it.
Read Nehemiah 13:11-12
Contend: raise your voice and quarrel noisily, bring a lawsuit, file a complaint
Nehemiah doesn’t strike me as a man who was belligerent. He didn’t want to do this, but he went to the source of the problem. He went to the rulers and confronted them about the neglect of the temple worship. You see, leaders run towards problems; not away from them.
Application: One of the hardest things to do is lovingly but firmly confront sin in the life of a brother or sister in Christ, but that’s part of the reason why we gather as a church family. It’s to be accountable to each other and to help each other to walk with Jesus.
Nehemiah wanted these rulers to get back on track but he had to call out their failure first.
Read Nehemiah 13:12
When leadership failures are addressed, it often has a trickle down effect. Nehemiah took that step of faith and Israel responded by restarting the tithes and offerings.
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He established a plan for success - Nehemiah 13:13
There’s an old proverb that has been variously attributed to Benjamin Franklin and Winston Churchill, among others.
It says, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”
Nehemiah wanted to ensure that the Jews would obey the Lord and gives of their tithes long after he was gone. His last governorship, they gave only as long as he stayed in Jerusalem. This time things would be different because he established a plan for success.
Read Nehemiah 13:13
Nehemiah found some men. One was a priest. Another was a scribe. Another who was of the tribe of Levi. There were others besides. But all of these men had a key qualification: they were faithful.
By the way, that’s the same qualification that Paul told Timothy to look for in training men to teach and disciple in the local church.
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Nehemiah found three faithful men. In context, the word indicates that they were considered by their community to be reliable, trustworthy, honest, stable. Such men are worth their weight in gold.
Application: Men, would you qualify for that description? If you’re saved, then the grace of God can enable you to be exactly that. Pray to that end. Ask God to make that true in your life. Submit to His Word and let Him change you to be like Christ.
These men ensured that as the tithes came in, they were fairly distributed. Nehemiah didn’t take it on himself to do this; he delegated it to others and thereby established a plan for success.
So far, we’ve seen that Nehemiah discerned a problem, he picked a fight with the powerful, and he established a plan for success. All of this is a description of was happening around Nehemiah and through his actions. But in verse fourteen there is a dramatic shift in the story. We get to see what was happening inside Nehemiah during these circumstances.
We see fourthly…
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He trusted God for help - Nehemiah 13:14
Read Nehemiah 13:14
Verses 1-13 were a retelling of history. We read through that historical narrative telling us of what Nehemiah did and what he said and how he confronted sin. But then we come to this verse where Nehemiah pauses the narrative and gives us just another little glimpse into his soul. In verse fourteen, he allows us to listen in to this little prayer that he voiced to God.
“Remember me, O my God, concerning this…”
The God of Heaven is not a forgetful God, so Nehemiah wasn’t making sure that God would remember something. No, this was a prayer for God’s help. This was a prayer of faith and trust. This was a plea for intervention and a request for God’s blessing and reward. We have seen Nehemiah pray similar things already.
Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
These prayers give us a glimpse into Nehemiah’s soul as he continually leaned upon the Lord for strength. This man was no weakling, obviously, but I think he operated in faith many times despite fear. Courage and boldness may not have come naturally to Nehemiah, but in faith, he lead the Jews anyway.
Application: Nehemiah wasn’t a good leader because of his personality, he was a good leader because he was a man of faith who simply obeyed and did what the Lord wanted him to do in that moment.
What seems overwhelming to you right now? What is beyond your ability? What is ahead that stretches you out of your comfort zone? Cry out to God and trust Him for help.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Nehemiah demonstrated the difference that one man can make by Standing For The Good and Right. He didn’t get enraged at the weak rulers. He didn’t get frustrated with the people because they stopped giving. He didn’t lose his temper. He simply took the unpopular position because it was right. But notice, it all began with discernment. He discerned the problem. Christian, I challenge you to get in your Bible and learn the difference between right and almost right. Learn the difference between truth and half truth. Become aware how often God’s truth is diluted with man’s philosophy. Then, graciously stand like Nehemiah for the Good and the Right.
Invitation
Invitation
Salvation
Discernment through Scripture
Confronting sin
Faithfulness
Trust in God for help
Baptism
Baptism
Nehemiah 13:15-22 - abuse of the Sabbath - november 2nd
Nehemiah 13:23-31 - mixed marriages, final reforms and closing of the book - November 16th
