Neh 1-2:7
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Great day at Cafe Real
Had a visitor the very next day. Interaction with many in the community, 22 in youth group that night, thankful for what God is doing.
Last week we finished up the book of Ezra with the prophet making a decree for the men who had married women from other backgrounds to divorce them.
Ezra came to Jerusalem during the 7th year of the reign of Artaxerxes and then 13 years later during the 20th year of Artaxerses reign, we come to the first chapter of Nehemiah.
The chapter opens up by describing which Nehemiah is being talked about by giving us his father’s name.
Then we go on to see the timing of the events. Chislev is around the November-December timeframe and involves Hanukkah and the new year.
They are in the city of Susa, which is where the kings winter palace is.
While there one of Nehemiah’s brothers comes and Nehemiah asks him how things are in jerusalem.
The response was less than what Nehemiah would have like to hear…look at verse 3
3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
See Nehemiah’s response in verses 4-11
4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
5 And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.
7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.
His heart was broken for his people.
What’s important about this first chapter of Nehemeiah.
I think it’s important to note that Nehemiah cared enough to ask.
I. Nehemiah cared enough to ask
I. Nehemiah cared enough to ask
Turn over to
5 For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?
That was stated by the prophet Jeremiah 150 years before. Who is going to care enough about you that they will ask about you.
Who is going to care enough for the world out there and the people around us that they will ask about it?
When I was in Yuma my Pastor’s son would ways try to listen into conversations that he didn’t need to be apart of. I would constantly tell him “one day you are going to hear something you wish you hadn’t” and “Knowing everything isn’t as much of a blessing or privilege as you see it”
Leadership requires knowing things that others don’t. Knowing situations and circumstances that not everyone knows about. Leadership is called a burden for a reason. It’s a great privilage but there is a weight that it carries because the more you know, the more you are responsible for.
When Nehemiah asked for this information and it was given to him he is now responsible for what he does with it.
He could have said “well…that’s terrible…I’ll pray for them” and walked away living a life of luxury in the palace of the king. But that wasn’t the right thing to do.
We can hear messages like on Sunday about the need for not just support for our missionaries but also for missionaries on the field and think “Well, that’s someone else’s responsibility. Not mine.” I’ll pray for them. I’ll pray God sends someone.I’ll give some money to help.
While those things are needed God doesn’t call us to be bystanders who are just supporting what is happening. We are to be in the fight. We are to be involved in his work and what He is doing.
Nehemiah heard of the great trouble that befell the people of Jerusalem and said “Here am I Lord, send me”
And this wasn’t something he came to just because of an emotional reaction however it was an emotional reaction to the news that was brought to him that lead him to do something.
I’m not charismatic in doctrine nor am I pentacostal but I do believe that the Lord will pull on our heart strings to direct our paths.
Nehemiah cared enough to ask…Then we see that He Cared enough to Pray.
II. Nehemiah cared enough to Pray
II. Nehemiah cared enough to Pray
Verse 4 says he sat down and wept. He was emotional and then what did he do. He mourned…Fasting and praying before God.
He was burdened for those in Jerusalem and then went to God and pours his heart out.
Be Determined 2. He Cared Enough to Weep (Neh. 1:4)
When God puts a burden on your heart, don’t try to escape it; for if you do, you may miss the blessing He has planned for you. The Book of Nehemiah begins with “great affliction” (Neh. 1:3), but before it closes, there is great joy (8:12, 17). “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Ps. 30:5). Our tears water the “seeds of providence” that God has planted on our path; and without our tears, those seeds could never grow and produce fruit
He begins by worshipping God and how amazing He is. Then asks for God to hear His plea.
He then confesses the sins of his people over time and asks for them to be delivered based upon the promises made to Moses.
Confession is often thought of as a scary time or a bad time but it should never be looked at as such. Confession is a time when we are looking to God and saying “Lord I know I’ve sinned. I agree with you that it was wrong. Please forgive me for my actions.” Then He turned and says “As it is written, I am faithful and just to forgive your sins if you will confess them. Because of your confession, you are forgiven.”
It’s not a time to be afraid of it’s a time to rejoice in. Thankful for the privelage we have to go to our Lord and say “I did wrong” and for Him to say “I know. I still love you and I forgive you.”
Nehemiah makes this intercessory type prayer for the people of Jerusalem and ends it with a request
11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.
He requests for God to grant him mercy in the sight of the king becuase he knows what he must do.
Then we get into chapter 2 where Nehemaih shows that he had the faith to wait
III. Nehemiah had the faith to wait
III. Nehemiah had the faith to wait
The month Nisan around our mid-march to mid-April.
He heard the news around December and waited until April when the opportunity presented itself to speak with the king.
Sometimes waiting can be the hardest thing for us to do. I’m sure as an adult you have had to compartmentalize emotions and go on about your day. That’s what this man had to do for four months.
He had to have faith in God and not rush into things. During that time talking to the king was something that not just anyone could do.
The king asked him about his countenance and then he responded very delicately. Not dramatically or emotionally as I’m sure he was more than capable of doing but with faith in God he offered respect to the the king and then described the situation.
says
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, A tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: He that believeth shall not make haste.
And what do we see happen here...
Look at
4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
The king said Go and provided letter for Nehemiah so the governors would know that it was by his decree Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall.
Application
Application
Now, what can we learn just from this part of the life of Nehemiah?
As Christians we have the responsibility to not only ask about how other Christians are doing and the world around us…we have the responsibility to act on what the answer is however we can. Prayer and financial support is great and needed but we should begin the prayer to God with “Lord, whatever you would have me do…I’ll do it.” Pray, Give, Go…which is it? Here am I, send me
When we find something we are passionate about, we find something that pulls on our heart strings…let’s make sure that we go to God and ask “Lord, what can I do for your glory in this area?” You can say “But pastor, I cry everytime I hear of persecution in the middle east....are you saying I should go there...” Nope…I’m telling you to go to God and if He tells you to go…then yes go. that’s scary…I know…Go. God’s put it on ym heart ot give x amount to missions this year....good…give it…that’s scary…I don’t think I can afford it…that’s ok, God can…be obedient.
Have faith. Sometimes I believe having faith is waiting and sometimes having faith could be acting. In my personal life as your pastor I have made decisions in these last 7 months that I hadn’t planned on making for a year or more because I didn’t want to rush things but when God continually puts things on your heart and calls you to action and your saying “but God wait…but God the timing…but God...” When you make that statement…but God…you are making an excuse to the one who sent His Son to die for you. You are making excuses to the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills and can provide for you physically, financially, and spiritually without question no matter whats going on around you. You are making excuses to the one who Job spoke about when he said “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord” Faith isn’t the absence of fear. Faith is the trust in the Lord in the face of fear.
Let’s not be afraid to ask…let’s not be afraid to pray…let’s not be afraid to act.
Let’s pray