Nehemiah 1 - Repentance

INTRO

What's your main purpose in life?

What is it like to have a purpose not bigger than ourselves? What's wrong with that?

We desire something greater, a purpose that is beyond ourselves; that has us looking forward to what is next

Unless we have a dominant purpose to glorify God and do his will as revealed in Scripture, we will make some terrible decisions and never achieve the true purpose for which we were made."

INTRO NEHEMIAH

Nehemiah is a great example of someone whose desire was to please God and glorify Him.

When hardships endured and surrounded by brokenness and the continual threat to peace; God gave Nehemiah a purpose beyond himself...but was one that he could not look within himself to look and move forward

Going to be in Nehemiah 1 - (place in scripture)

son of Hacaliah

lived in the mid-fifth century - during the time of Israel's exile from their homeland but in Persia

held some official position in the Persian court which we will see later

What we see in Nehemiah 1 is a warning not only to the world...but to the church; while also bringing hope

PASSAGE BEGINS -  NEHEMIAH RECEIVED SOME VISITORS

Nehemiah received some visitors and asked them for news about Jerusalem and the Jewish people who remained there during the exile period and those who had returned

Babylonian Exile - Jewish/israelite people taken into captivity and exiled to different areas and later the Persian empire conquered Babylonians

History

Post-King David

David's descendants had history of some kings who followed and obeyed God and those who rejected God and "did what was evil in the sight of the Lord"

Majority of their transgressions/sin/rebellion centered on idolatry (worshipped false God's, adopted/imitated detestable practices of surrounding nations and nations God disposed of,and perverted the worship of God 

Which led to worthless worship and feelings of worthlessness (bc of their rebellion leading to brokenness and Israel's consequence was being overtaken and dispersed)

Israel's disaster occured because the people sinned against the LORD God and worshipped other Gods (2 Kings 17:7-23)

Faithfulness to God's word is rewarded with blessing, but disobedience reaps judgment, as demonstrated in the rise and fall of both kingdoms dependent upon their obedience to the covenant.

This is what led to where they are now in the text

BIBLE PASSAGE

Nehemiah 1:1-11 (CSB)

1: The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: During the month of Chislev in the twentieth year, when I was in the fortress city of Susa,

News from Jerusalem

2: Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile. 3: They said to me, “The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.”

Nehemiah’s Prayer

4: When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens. 5: I said, LORD, the God of the heavens, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands,

6: let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to hear your servant’s prayer that I now pray to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned. 7: We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses. 8: Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. 9: But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell.” 10: They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand. 11: Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man. At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.

NEHEMIAH'S CONCERN (V.2-3)

Nehemiah was concerned and eager to hear of news of Jerusalem and how the Jewish people there were doing (although he lived hundreds of miles from Jerusalem, he still felt a deep connection with his fellow Jews and homeland city)

But what He heard (whether he expected the news bc of rumors he heard or was completely surprised) completely broke Him

Jews were in great trouble and disgrace (in distress and shame); even with the temple in Jerusalem rebuilt back in Ezra, God's people are still broken

trouble/distress - social & economic situation (heavy tax burden placed on those in Jerusalem and Judah by the Persians)

Disgrace/shame/reproach - nation's spiritual condition because of its failure to fully separate from the foreign nations

The wall of Jerusalem was broken down in rubble and the gates burned with fire (wreckage still there from when the city fell to the Babylonians and armies of Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC) (2 Kings 25:9-10)

They were pervious to constant ambush with no safety or defenses. The city of Jerusalem reflects that of the people

Feelings of helplessness, defenseless

and because Jerusalem's surrounding enemies before strongly persuaded Artaxerxes to stop restoration work in Jersualem by compelling them by force to stop" (Ezra 4:23)

Nehemiah's sorrow from the fact that the advance of God's glory was halted, which fuels his passion for God and His kingdom

V.4 - NEHEMIAH'S BURDEN & FEELING BROKEN

After hearing this news, Nehemiah sat down and wept

Illust./Analogy - Have you at any point in your life heard news so devastating that you did not even have the strength to stand and plopped down and wept

Death of a loved one, the failures of others, the sudden loss of a job or opportunity, the distress of others (people you know or people in another part of the state, county, or world)

Example: death of grandpa? 9/11 for others (seems like everyone remembers where they were when the twin towers fell)

What we see from Nehemiah is that Brokenness Should Move Us

1 - Brokenness Should Move Us

V.4 - NEHEMIAH BROKEN CONT.

Nehemiah was broken - intense and emotional reaction

And we can wonder maybe like Nehemiah: "where do I turn to? how do I get past this? How do I even look forward to some type of hope"

He did the only thing he knew could make any difference; he appealed to the one he knows is the only one who can fix this, who is the same one who rules over all people: God

And yes while Nehemiahs response of fasting and prayer was typical pattern — His expression of grief and concern were real

Genuine concern and anxiety for his people, but he was not ruled by emotions…the Lord gave Nehemiah a burden for the people of Israel, and he sought God's favor and help fervently for what we will come to find out was for months before an open opportunity

"He mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven"

When was the last time we were burdened by the brokenness around us or by something God desires that we fast and pray? Are we even aware of these things?

Oh, may we be moved by the brokenness around us, not just physical but spiritual to fervently seek God's favor and help

Nehemiah's grief drives Him to prayer

V.5-11 - PRAYER

Adoration - acknowledging who God is and worthy of worship

v.5a - "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God"

lifting heart in worship and God's greatness

When we pray, we speak to the God who rules over all the heavens and over all the earth

2 - Prayer Should Humble Us

V.5 CONTINUED

v.5b - "who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands"

God's covenantal relationship binds us (who love and obey Him) to Him)

Nehemiah here is calling God compassionate

Nehemiah is calling on God to do what He has promised to do

God keeps His promises to those who live in loving conformity to God (whose identity is in the one true God)

When we read God keeps His promises, that also means that He does not forget His people!

Depending on how your life is going, you might question and feel that God is not near or that He's just forgotten about you; I tell you that is not the case but reality is the opposite…and we read testament to that in the story of Nehemiah

In prayer, we can approach the unapproachable because God exists in perfect love and faithfulness

these are the qualities that give us hope, and are the qualities that gave Nehemiah the courage to look forward and ask God to hear his plea (lead to v.6)

v.6a - "let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to hear your servant's prayer "

figures of speech, Nehemiah asking God to listen and act to his prayer

V.6 - CONFESSION & REPENTANCE

v.6b - "I confess the sins we (Israelites) have committed against you. Both I and my father's family have sinned"

Nehemiah identifies himself with the Jews and fully recognizes sins grip on the human heart (the entire nation has sinned against the Lord)

He acknowledges and regrets his own sin and guilt and that of his family

He is acknowledging and repenting of the tendency toward disobedience of which all people are guilty

V.7 - CONFESSION & REPENTANCE CONT.

v.7 - "We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses

acknowledges that he and the Jewish people are guilty of not following and understanding the Mosaic/Deuteronomic law's intent, commands, and spirit

commands - moral commands given (10 commandments)

statutes - obligations place upon the people to maintain worship (sacrifices, tithes, feast days)

ordinances - judgements/laws based on discussions, resulting as consequence for their sin the people of Israel being scattered among nations

THERE IS GREAT NEED FOR REPENTANCE

There is a great need for repentance in our world and nation today…we've seen just earlier this week how sin and the attempt to justify sin hurts everyone. We've seen that the past couple weeks with the physical destruction of communities. May we weep for injustice and weep for the brokenness that plagues our world

But you know there is an even more personal need, and that is our own repentance. We are so quick to point out how the world and others around us need to repent and turn to Jesus; but we are so slow or never take a look at what God is revealing to us about our own sin (whether that be doing what God does not desire for us, that is contrary to Him; or that we are not doing what God desires for us).

we see both types repentance with Israel and Nehemiah…Nehemiah morns and repents of the sin of Israel, but also his own sin and sins that plagued his fathers that he was still dealing with the impact from

sin of turning from God and seeking their own way and pleasures

sin of not making God top priority and not worshipping Him as He deserves (in actual worship practice and in life)

3 - Repentance Should Change Us

V.8 - GOD IS FAITHFUL

v.8a - "Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses"

not that God forgot, but Nehemiah affirmed God's power and comparing the Jews waywardnessto what God declared through Moses in and the consequences of disobeying  Duet 30

Although the nation had proved faithless, Nehemiah believed that the Lord would prove faithful

v.8 b - ""If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples."

God is true to His word, both in promise of hope and judgement

These are the consequences of disobedience

reminder that the exile was the result of Israel's separation form God because of their sin (because sin separates us from God because He is holy and completely without sin)

but along with warnings we see blessings and restoration from God (both we see in Leviticus 26 and Deut 4:26-31)

V.9 - RESTORATION

v.9 - "But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon, I will father them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell"

when we look back at Ezra which is years before Nehemiah, we see the start of God's restoration by jews resettling in Judah and Jerusalem and with the temple rebuilt

God desires restoration with His people and His creation

why? - God wants to give life (gospel, life only found in the author of life…but sin messed that up…)

what Nehemiah also understood was that God was to be glorified, and in the restoration of God's people and city ultimately brings God glory

Nehemiah is so emotionally affected in v.4 because He knows God's Word and wants him and God's people to love God and His kingdom

V.10 - GOD HAS POWER TO REDEEM AND IS FAITHFUL TO DO SO

v.10 - "They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand."

God is proven in His power and faithfulness to His word (as Nehemiah pointed out just before in His prayer), now Nehemiah pleading for God (in being faithful and gracious) to act on the people's behalf

The Lord redeem and liberate like He did before with Israel brought out of bondage from Egypt

Before seeking what's next, let's take a step back from even God's specific call on Nehemiah; but just to have a burden for people to be restored to the Lord and Him being faithful to do so

4 - God's Faithfulness Should Lead Us Forward

V.11 - SUBMITTING AS GOD'S SERVANT PROVIDES PATH FORWARD

v.11 - v.11 - "Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today, and grant him compassion in the presence of this man"

Interesting that Nehemiah uses the term "servant" 8 times in his prayer: either referring to himself, the Jewish people, or Moses.

Nehemiah is revealing that those who serve the Lord are equal in privilege and position before the sovereign ruler of all

Acknowledging himself as God's servant — willing to do and submit to anything God asked of Him and that God would give Him success thru obedience

and other faithful jews join Nehemiah in these same prayers

Interesting this end of his prayer sets up for ch.2 when he is before the king…seems as though this may not be a one time prayer, but the constant prayer of Nehemiah to the Lord

because Nehemiah was willing to wait, knowing that only God can move the heart of another (like the king) and orchestrate what needed to be done at the right time, at the right place, in the right way…Nehemiah understood this and throughout all of it remain faithful

CALL TO RETURN TO FAITHFULNESS

Nehemiah wanted the jewish people to carefully and purposefully consider their lives and choices; because he desired for all Jews (citizens of Jerusalem and Judah) to turn their hearts back to God and His design and purpose for them. That the daily busyness of life/hardships/grief not distract them but that they are pointed to a future founded in God's love and holiness (unhindered by sin)

He has the same call for us to return in faithfulness

looking forward (in hardships, feeling like you're loosing in life, like you haven't felt like you're making any progress in life)…you may be in a season of trails and God is telling you to wait…but what if that is just the excuse we often tell ourselves in those hard life feelings and seasons to distract ourselves from God's calling

some of you can't clearly look forward with certainty of hope and confidence because you haven't actually received the gift of hope and salvation (stepped into the promise) form God and need to repent and surrender all of you to God

some of you have received the gift of hope (have stepped into the promise of God) and are battling what God has promised you in His Word and you need to repent of your lack of obedience to His calling and live obedient, walking with Him in His design and purpose for your life

In the good and hard parts of life; we want peace…but you will not have peace in your life if you keep trying to do, control, and regulate your life yourself. Peace only comes from the prince of peace: Christ. The author of life and peace: God

CONT. CALL TO BE FAITHFUL IN EVERY FEELING AND SEASON

Nehemiah even in the burden and anxiousness towards his people…He has peace thru confidence that the Lord will be faithful to His promises. And Nehemiah shows us that

we can be hurting and be faithful

we can be grieving and be faithful

we can be going through stressful, restless season and be faithful

we can fall, and the Lord bring us back up to being faithful

we can be running through tissue boxes and be faithful

no matter what you may have in your past, God has brought you out of being a slave to sin and calls you to Himself to be faithful

You may look at Nehemiah and want to be used by God or God move or work in or thru you…but you feel stuck

maybe the reason for that isn't that God isn't moving, but that you first need to respond in repentance

Repentance - Repentance - not just in what we've been doing that's not according to God's desire for us (disobedience and rebellion against God); but also what we haven't been doing that God clearly calls us in His Word

CLOSE WITH PRAYER

Everyone go ahead a bow your heads...

"Nehemiah's prayer reminds us that sometimes the reason we can't clearly look forward isn't because God hasn't given us a future. Sometimes it's because we haven't dealt honestly with our past and present sin. We want God to change our circumstances, but God first wants to turn our hearts back to Him."

Then:

"And that is why repentance is so important as we come to the Lord's Table. We don't come pretending we're good enough. We come acknowledging that we need a Redeemer. We don't come pointing at everyone else's sin. We come confessing our own. We don't come trusting in our faithfulness to God. We come remembering His faithfulness to us."

Sometimes we don't look forward to what God may have for you (whether that is salvation or specific calling) because of fear…fear robs you of the joy God has for you, joy that is in Him

LORD'S SUPPER

"Nehemiah looked back and remembered a God who redeems His people. We look back to an even greater act of redemption—the cross of Jesus Christ. The bread reminds us of His body given for us. The cup reminds us of His blood shed for us. And because Christ has redeemed us, we can look forward—not because we know everything tomorrow holds, but because we know the One who holds tomorrow."