The Next Level Nehemiah

Nehemiah

Nehemiah was a Jew who lived in exile—separated from the Holy Land and the city of Jerusalem

He rose through the ranks of men who lived in the Persian Empire to become the cupbearer of King Artaxerxes.

Cupbearer doesn’t sound like an important position, but it was. As you might guess, a cupbearer would fill and deliver the king’s cup to him. More than that, the cupbearer would drink some of the cup in order to make sure there was no poison in the cup. It was a great responsibility.

Cupbearers became high-ranking people in the court of a king. Often they became confidants and trusted advisors of the king. They could have a great deal of influence over the king’s decisions.

Nehemiah became aware of the terrible condition of his people who had been returned to Judah and Jerusalem by the king of the Persians.

“The protective walls of Jerusalem had been broken down, and its gates had been burned. When Nehemiah heard this report, his heart broke, and he cried for several days. He reminded God of his covenant with the Jewish nation, and he confessed his people’s sins against God. The king noticed that Nehemiah looked sad, and he asked, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart” () (Wilson 2009, 138 Five lines from bottom).

Wilson

The king then asked Nehemiah what he wanted. Instead of blurting out a request, Nehemiah first prayed and sough the wisdom of the Lord. It seems to me that it must have been a quick and silent prayer (2:4-5) but it was an effective prayer. He then asked the king to let him travel to Judah and authorize him to obtain the necessary supplies to rebuild the wall.

I think that Nehemiah had been praying about this and already had all this on his heart. Then the Lord gave him opportunity and a quick prayer by Nehemiah sealed the results.

DISCUSS: Why is it important for us to (1) be prayed up and (2) be ready to offer up quick prayers when sudden situation arise?

“When Nehemiah came to Jerusalem, he found the reports were true: the city walls were only heaps of rocks. But as he enlisted the people to help him rebuild, he may not have anticipated all the obstacles he faced” (Wilson 2009, 139, 2 full paragraph).

DISCUSS: Why do obstacles arise when we begin to do God’s Work? [Satanic opposition, ungodly people, world, our own flesh, etc.]

Sanballat, a leader among the Samaritans (descendants of Jews who were not exiled who married local people) ridiculed the Jews.

Tobiah, an Ammonite, a traditional enemy of the Jews said that even a fox climbing on the wall would bring it down.

Nehemiah 4:7–12 NIV

7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. 10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” 11 Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.” 12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

Nehemiah 4:7-

“Nehemiah could have looked at all the obstacles and listened to all the complaints and given up, but he didn’t” (Wilson 2008, 139, last paragraph).

Nehemiah 4:13–14 NIV

13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

Wilson, Scott. The Next Level: A Message of Hope for Hard Times . Salubris Resources. Kindle Edition.

Nehemiah’s plan worked. His workers were encouraged and his enemies were discouraged, but her refused to let his guard down. He told half of his men to carry weapons while the other half worked. Some of the men worked with one hand and carried a weapon with the other hand. Everywhere they went, they took their weapons with them. They stayed on constant alert.

DISCUSS: Why must we always be ready for battle (spiritually speaking)? [Attacks could come at any time.]

Wilson, Scott. The Next Level: A Message of Hope for Hard Times . Salubris Resources. Kindle Edition.

Wilson, Scott. The Next Level: A Message of Hope for Hard Times . Salubris Resources. Kindle Edition.

DISCUSS: How can we stay ready for battle?

Ephesians 6:13–18 NIV

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Eph. 6:13-

Wilson, Scott. The Next Level: A Message of Hope for Hard Times . Salubris Resources. Kindle Edition.

“Walking with God isn’t stepping back and watching God do everything for us. Most often, it’s trusting God to lead us, equip us, and empower us to be partners with him in touching people’s lives. Being passive for God may sound very spiritual, but it’s not the way God normally works. Spirit-prompted activity is the normal Christian life—full of boldness, courage, and tenacity. Of course, we don’t want to trust only in ourselves, but we need to remember that God most often uses people like us in his work. It’s our task (and our privilege) to listen carefully to him, to obey his leading, and take bold steps to change lives. That’s what Nehemiah modeled for us, and that’s how God works in churches today. Passivity doesn’t stand a chance against real opposition from God’s enemies.” (Wilson 2009, 140, 1/2 through page, far right, middle second paragraph.)

DISCUSS: What balance should we have between trusting God to do a work and our cooperation with Him in that work?

Wilson, Scott. The Next Level: A Message of Hope for Hard Times . Salubris Resources. Kindle Edition.