Nehemiah 1; 2:1-8 - "Turning Your Worry into Hope"

In the Book of Ezra the emphasis is upon the rebuilding of the temple; in the Book of Nehemiah the emphasis is upon the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.

In Ezra we have the religious aspect of the return; in Nehemiah we have the political aspect of the return.

Ezra is a fine representative of the priest and scribe. Nehemiah is a noble representative of the businessman.

Nehemiah had an important office in the court of the powerful Persian king, Artaxerxes, but his heart was with God’s people and God’s program in Jerusalem.

Chronologically this is the last of the historical books. We have come to the end of the line as far as time is concerned. As far as the Jews are concerned, the Old Testament goes no further with their history.

The Book of Ezra picks up the thread of the story about seventy years after 2 Chronicles. The seventy years of captivity are over and a remnant returns to the land of Israel.

The return under Ezra took place about fifty years after the return of Zerubbabel.

Nehemiah returned about fifteen years after Ezra. These figures are approximate and are given to show the stages in the history of Israel after the Captivity.

Let’s read...

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, 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.” 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 2:1–8 CSB

1 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, 2 so the king said to me, “Why are you sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear 3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 Then the king asked me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of the heavens 5 and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.” 6 The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me. 7 I also said to the king: “If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah. 8 And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.” The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.

Historical and Cultural Background

For a city to be without a good wall on an ongoing basis was unthinkable in the ancient Near East, since it was actually the principal element in a city’s defense.

If the wall was broken down, the city was vulnerable to attack, and this was a source of shame to the city’s residents.

This explains Nehemiah’s reaction when he hears about the state of Jerusalem’s wall.

The possibility of further attack and destruction and the associated shame experienced by the Judeans were the opposite of the peace and security associated with restoration. Thus, Nehemiah perceives a need for further action by God to fulfill his promises.

In this passage we will see that Nehemiah’s strength of character was forged from his study of God’s Word.

We will see that he knew he could rely on the one true and living God to answer his prayers because he knew from his study of the Bible what God had promised to do.

And we will see that the boldness that grows from Bible study and the blessing that falls when prayers are answered enable leadership that draws others to stand for the cause of all that is good and right and sacred.

In the first chapter of the book, Nehemiah gets a report in Susa from one of his brothers about how things are in Jerusalem—not good. He responds to this report with earnest prayer to God.

ebuild the city.

In 2:1-8 the Persian king grants Nehemiah’s request to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city.

So if we’re going to own the Promises of God: getting ready to do anything great and wonderful in the name of Jesus…Taking our trials, our worries, our persoanl struggles anf placing them with Christ…turning them into Hope, I would propose we start with these 3 steps to get focused on His Promises and Hope instead of our worries and pain.

We need to stop and Visualize what is crumbling our walls of hope/faith. Next, take the time to truly agonize over that cause and take it to God. Don’t trivialize or ignore it. Lastly, once ownership and a better understanding of the cause of the pain has been seen and taken to God, we then must act on it…Organize and move forward with the hope and promises of Christ in our lives.

So...let’s get started...

Visualize the “Walls”

The first of these steps is to stop and Visualize…to conjure up and envision what is creating the worry…the stress…the pain.

Let’s read the fist three verses again

Nehemiah 1:1–3 CSB

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive I. Visualize

Now Nehemiah is in Persia, and he has seen certain brethren who have recently been in Jerusalem. And they had no television; they had no radio; they had no newspapers, as we know them; they had no telephones. And so he’s wanting some news. He said, “What is the city of God like? The people of God, what is their condition? I want to know. Tell it to me, so I can visualize it, so I can see it.”

Now Nehemiah is in Persia, and he has seen certain brethren who have recently been in Jerusalem.

And they had no television; they had no internet; they had no newspapers, as we know them; they had no cell phones.

And so he’s wanting some news.

He said, “What is the city of God like? The people of God, what is their condition? I want to know. Tell it to me, so I can visualize it, so I can see it.”

And they brought this report.

They wept, I’m certain, as they said, “Oh, Nehemiah, you cannot believe the degradation. You cannot believe the desolation. You cannot believe the danger. You cannot believe the poverty. The city is in disarray. The gates have been burned with fire. The walls have crumbled. The streets are filled with weeds and trash and debris. The people are discouraged. The people are in poverty. The people are in hunger.”

And Nehemiah saw this, a city with walls that had crumbled. And you’re going to find out that the book of Nehemiah, a large part of the book of Nehemiah, is the story of the rebuilding of these walls.

Now these walls were literal walls in that day, but we’re asking a question—not only “What did it mean then?” but “What does it mean today?”—because, you see, walls are also symbolic.

Walls stand for protection.

Walls are symbolic of separation.

Walls speak to us of conservation.

Walls spoke of the glory of God.

Walls, in the Bible, and especially around the city of Jerusalem, had a symbolic meaning.

They spoke of the glory of God; they spoke of the salvation of God; they spoke of the protection of God over His people. And the walls had fallen.

Now, what does this mean to us this morning?

Think of it this way, we, too, are called to rebuild some walls that are in decay.

And Kerry and I want you to think with us for a moment about some walls today that have begun to fall to the ground, some walls that are in disarray.

Personal Walls

We will use this time to discuss as a class.

Question: “What personal events can cause our walls to crumble?”

There are the very clear and obvious ones that we have already, as a class, been and continue to deal with: Loss of a loved one, Loss of Trust due to Infidelity. But what are some other ones?

I do not believe that anything is too trivial, especially if it is causing or has caused a crumbling of your walls.

Theological Walls

Now, let’s use this time to discuss our Theological Walls.

Question: “What theological debates, misunderstandings, events can cause our walls to crumble?”

Again, I do not believe that anything is too trivial, especially if it is causing or has caused a crumbling of your walls.

-Pastors failing to preach the Word of God as the inerrant, infallible Word of God?

-Cafeteria Christians

- “Let’s be tolerant of other views/religions.”

-The more tolerant the more we will evaporate into oblivion

Agonize

Now, the second step: If you would change problems into possibilities, not only must you visualize; but, secondly, you must agonize. Continue to look here in the Scripture.

Let’s read verse 4

Nehemiah 1:4 CSB

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.

Nehemiah

A Prayer of Contrition

What kind of a prayer was this?

It was a prayer of contrition. Of brokenness.

It was a prayer where Nehemiah wept tears over the condition as it was.

Do you know what’s wrong with our society? In my humble opinion, society has forgotten how to recognize righteous guilt, and the church has forgotten how to weep and be broken for the lost.

No longer do we weep.

Now, I’m going to go down a path and this is not meant to guilt nor condemn…I just want each of us to think about this...

When was the last time you spent a night in prayer? A morning…a focused time with Christ, uninterrupted?

When was the last time you fasted and prayed?

You gave up something that you needed or longed for so instead you can focus on Christ instead?

When was the last time you were broken over a lost soul?

Think of it this way...

we pray without crying;

we give without sacrifice;

we live without brokenness.

Is it any wonder that we sow without reaping?

Weeping, fasting, praying, seeking the face of God has become a lost art.

When we begin to own that which causes our walls to begin to crumble, we should first approach God like Nehemiah…with a Contrite Heart.

A Prayer of Confession

But not only was Nehemiah’s prayer a prayer of contrition; it was a prayer of confession. I want you to look as he prays.

Nehemiah 1:6 CSB

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.

Now I want you to notice the confession in this prayer.

Now I want you to notice the confession in this prayer. It was national and personal. He said, “Israel has sinned, and I have sinned.” And I tell you, ladies and gentlemen, we must pray for our city. We must pray for our state, for our nation. And we must nationally repent. But that is no good unless we individually repent.

It was national and personal.

He said, “Israel has sinned, and I have sinned.”

Friends, we must pray for our city.

We must pray for our state, for our nation.

And we must nationally repent.

HOWEVER... that is no good unless we individually repent.

Have you repented? Have you Confessed to God?

We can’t just sit here and weep and mourn, and bow our heads and mourn over the condition, unless we’re willing to repent, because if you we don’t repent, we’ll never be a part of the solution—we’ll be a part of the problem.

A Prayer of Confidence

Nehemiah prayed a prayer of contrition.

And he prayed a prayer of confession.

But I want you to go on and notice that he prayed a prayer of confidence.

Notice starting in verse 8

Nehemiah 1:8–10 CSB

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.

Do you notice what he’s doing?

Do you know what he’s doing?

He’s saying, “God, do you remember what you said in your Word? Do you remember those promises you made in your Word? God, I’m holding you to your Word.”

Isn’t that great?

You see, that’s what real prayer is.

Real prayer is not just letting your mind wander and thinking up some things that you want and going to heaven with a little shopping list. Real prayer is rooted in the solid promises of the Word of God. It is finding a promise in the Word of God and standing on it.

God says,

Isaiah 45:11 CSB

11 This is what the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and its Maker, says: “Ask me what is to happen to my sons, and instruct me about the work of my hands.

Nehemiah boldly and with confidence came to the Father and he said, “Father, I am praying a prayer of confidence. I am believing you, God, because you promised. And because you promised, Lord, I am holding you to your Word.”

“Concerning the work of my hands command ye me.” () Nehemiah audaciously came to the Father and he said, “Father, I am praying a prayer of confidence. I am believing you, God, because you promised. And because you promised, Lord, I am holding you to your Word.”

Please hear me out on this...

We serve a great God.

And someone has well said, “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance; it is laying hold of His willingness.”

Find a promise in the Word of God that means it’s something God wants to do, and then stand upon it.

And pray big prayers.

Pray your prayers with Confidence based on the Truth of the Word of God.

A Prayer of Commitment

But I want you to notice also—and pay close attention—he also prays a prayer of commitment. Look in verse 11

Nehemiah 1:11 CSB

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 had a very important job: he was the king’s cupbearer.

Here was a fantastically, lavishly, wealthy king, so wealthy that he had a cupbearer who would come in with his wine and with his goodies every day and offer them to the king.

This was a job that paid well.

This was a job, a very high-elevated job, because you were right there with the king in his most intimate moments.

And here was Nehemiah, the king’s cupbearer, and he had a job of luxury.

He was so far removed from the poverty and the degradation and the fallen walls.

Here he was in his little place of security.

Here he was in his own little warm nest.

But he couldn’t stay there.

God had burdened him. And when he saw the condition of the fallen walls, he said, “By the grace of God I’m going to get involved.”

And he says, “Lord, I’m starting to do something. Lord, I feel a fire burning in me. Lord, I feel something welling up in me. God, you’re calling me now, and you prosper me, Lord, in what I’m about to do, because I’m about to get out of my warm nest; I’m about to get committed.”

Now, let me share something that is huge in my prayer life and my walk with Christ...

It’s not enough for you to pray the prayer of contrition, the prayer of confession, and the prayer of confidence, unless you’re also willing to pray the prayer of commitment.

Prayer is no substitute for commitment.

Prayer is not a smokescreen in which you can hide your lack of commitment.

Do you think we are going to be able to do what we’ve called ourselves to do and what we feel God is leading us to do?

We can, if you’ll do more than pray.

You can’t do more than pray until you’ve prayed.

But you should do more than pray after you’ve prayed.

You should be committed.

For you to begin to rebuild those walls, it will take a solid commitment from you to act and also to bring others with you to help you “re-build.”

However, so many of us don’t want to get out of our little warm nests.

But I don’t want to be a bearer of bad news, but in my humble opinion, your nest may disappear before you know it.

It’s time that we got committed.

Pray a prayer of:

Contrition

Confession

Confidence and

Commitment

Time to Organize

Ok, here we go...

The first step in turning your worry into hope is to visualize.

The second step is to agonize.

That’s what Nehemiah did.

The third step—is to organize.

Sometimes people get so spiritual that they fail to do anything practical.

And the thing I like about Nehemiah is that he was deeply spiritual and intensely practical.

And so when God began to move in his heart, and he saw that the walls were in disarray, and he saw that there was a need, his mind began to work, and he started to plan.

And he was thinking the thoughts of God after Him.

And he made some plans.

How often do you make plans for your family, your life?

Are these plans soaked and saturated in prayer?

Do you truly believe that your plans are God’s plans?

Do you seek the mind of Christ?

Not trying to “brow beat” you. Please know that, however, I truly believe that when we plan, make plans, we neglect to initially seek Him.

And, in my humble opinion, I truly believe there are some people who don’t want to plan at all.

There are some people who think that if you organize, you’re unspiritual.

You’re unspiritual if you don’t organize.

You’re unspiritual if you do not plan.

God is a very practical God.

And God said, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” ()

And soon we will all look at the plans of this man, Nehemiah.

Look here in chapter 2, beginning in verse 1

Nehemiah 2:1–2 CSB

Why would he be so afraid just to look sad?

I’ll tell you why: No cupbearer—or no servant at all, for that matter—would dare to come into the presence of the king with a sad face.

That would be to make the king sad—to rain on the king’s parade.

And it was an unforgivable sin, punishable by death.

No wonder Nehemiah was afraid.

The king says, “You’re not sick. Why are you looking so sad?”

Nehemiah had a burden on his heart so big he couldn’t hide it. And what was on his heart came out on his face.

But Nehemiah had prayed and he’d sought the face of God. And so I want us to continue to read:

Nehemiah 2:3–4 CSB

3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 Then the king asked me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of the heavens

The king says, “What is it you want, Nehemiah?”

And Nehemiah, can’t you see him?

He’s praying and talking at the same time. Have you ever done that?

I do that every-time I teach.

I’m truly sitting here praying and teaching at the same time, saying, “God, help me to say it right.”

And here’s Nehemiah saying, “O God, here’s my chance. Lord, the king wants to know what it is I want.”

Now, do you think he just suddenly blurted it out?

For four months he’d been planning it.

He knew exactly what he wanted. And he asked for three things of the king that every one of us need to ask.

Let’s look at these 3 things to ask Christ so we can be focused and organized as we begin to “re-build” those walls.

Ask His Permission

The first thing that he asked for was the king’s permission.

Look in verse 4

Nehemiah 2:4-5

Nehemiah 2:4–5 NASB95

4 Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 I said to the king, “If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

“I want your permission to go.”

—“I want your permission to go.” Now, friend, before you do anything in the name of Jesus, you’d better get His permission. It’s as dangerous to run ahead of God as it is to run behind Him. And so he asks for the king’s permission.

Remeber this please, before you do anything in the name of Jesus, you’d better get His permission.

It’s as dangerous to run ahead of God as it is to run behind Him.

“Oh,” you might say, “well, he didn’t need an earthly king’s permission.”

“Oh,” you say, “well, he didn’t need an earthly king’s permission.” Friend, it wasn’t the earthly king who was giving him permission. Don’t you know that an earthly king is controlled by the heavenly King, the King of kings? The Bible says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” () That’s the reason Nehemiah had just prayed to the God of heaven.

Peeps, it wasn’t the earthly king who was giving him permission.

Don’t you know that an earthly king is controlled by the heavenly King, the King of kings?

The Bible is clear and says,

Proverbs 21:1 CSB

1 A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever he chooses.

That’s the reason Nehemiah had just prayed to the God of heaven first.

Proverbs 21:11 CSB

11 When a mocker is punished, the inexperienced become wiser; when one teaches a wise man, he acquires knowledge.

That’s the reason Nehemiah had just prayed to the God of heaven.

Ask for His Protection

And he was asking, number one, for the king’s permission. Number two: He was asking for the king’s protection. I want you to look in verse 7

Nehemiah 2:7 CSB

7 I also said to the king: “If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.

He’s saying, “As I go, these people are going to say, ‘Who are you?’ and, ‘What is your authority? What right do you have to travel here?’

What right do you have to travel here?’ And,” he said, “I want a letter that I can pull out. I want something that I can show to say that King Artaxerxes sent me. I want your protection.”

And,” he said, “I want a letter that I can pull out. I want something that I can show to say that King Artaxerxes sent me. I want your protection.”

It really hit me as I was preparing this lesson...I’m sooooo glad that I am His child I have that protection?

Do you feel the same way as a follower of Jesus Christ?

Aren’t you glad that He’s given us His letter, God’s Holy Word?

Aren’t you glad that He has given us His authority? Jesus said,

Luke 10:19 CSB

19 Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing at all will harm you.

Matthew 28:20 CSB

20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

“Behold, I give unto you power … over all the power of the enemy.”() “And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”()

That protection is a comfort and peace during the times of crumbling walls but even more so when we begin to repair our walls!

Ask for His Provision

He wanted the king’s permission.

He wanted the king’s protection.

And he also wanted the king’s provision. Look in verse 8. He said, “I need some building materials, King, and I want you to give them to me.” And then, just put a star by the last part of verse 8:

Nehemiah 2:8 CSB

8 And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.” The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.

Nehemiah

You see, it wasn’t this earthly king; this earthly king was only a tool in the hand of the King of kings.

“And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.” () You see, it wasn’t this earthly king; this earthly king was only a tool in the hand of the King of kings. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”

Proverbs 21:1 CSB

1 A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever he chooses.

My dear friend, aren’t you glad that as His children we have that protection? Aren’t you glad that He’s given us His letter, God’s Holy Word? Aren’t you glad that He has given us His authority? Jesus said, “Behold, I give unto you power … over all the power of the enemy.”() “And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”()

Let’s land this plane...

We began looking and identifying what trials are causing our walls to crumble and allow the enemy to break thru.

and say, “God, I want your permission; I want your protection; and, O God, I want your provision, because I am getting ready to rise up and build.”

Let’s stop and agree that we will visualize until God gives us a burden, and then if you will take that burden and agonize until you know that you’ve confessed your sins and made a commitment, then you have every right to come and organize and go to work.

You have every right to look into the face of your God and say, “God, I want your permission; I want your protection; and, O God, I want your provision, because I am getting ready to rise up and build.”

Start today to turn that worry into HOPE!

Next week...

We will begin to Build!!

and 3:1-5

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