Nehemiah 1-4
Sunday
Morning Bible Study
September 23, 2001
Introduction
Nehemiah was a man who lived in the capital city of Persia, Shushan. He was
an influential man who held the position as “cupbearer” to king Artaxerxes of
Persia. The cupbearer was the servant who tasted the food and drink for the
king to make sure it wasn’t poisoned, but the cupbearer was also a trusted
friend and counselor for a king, a man of influence.
Nehemiah lived in the time at the end of the Babylonian captivity. God had
warned the nation of Israel through Moses in 1400 BC that if the nation
rebelled against God, there might be a day when they would be scattered
throughout the nations of the world. The day where God’s patience finally ran
out was in 586 BC, and the nation was taken captive to Babylon, and the city of
Jerusalem was leveled. Nehemiah lived at the end of this captivity, after the
nation of Israel had been away from their land for seventy years.
I think that God has some pretty important things to say to us from the
book of Nehemiah, both as Americans, as well as individuals.
Chapter 1
:1-4 Nehemiah mourns
Some of us have had a hard time not getting emotional and caught up in the
things that have happened to our nation. That’s the way it ought to be. We
ought to be sad.
But Nehemiah is going to let his sadness motivate him to take action.
Lesson
God can use sorrow
When Paul was aware of some problems in the church at Corinth, he wrote a
letter and said some pretty tough things. His letter caused great sorrow in the
church. After finding out what his letter had accomplished, he wrote to the
Corinthians a second time –
(2 Cor 7:8-11 NLT) I
am no longer sorry that I sent that letter to you, though I was sorry for a
time, for I know that it was painful to you for a little while. {9} Now I am
glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to
have remorse and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his
people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. {10} For God can use
sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will
never regret that kind of sorrow. But sorrow without repentance is the kind
that results in death. {11} Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you!
Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such
alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish the
wrongdoer. You showed that you have done everything you could to make things
right.
Sadness and sorrow can be good if they motivate us to
action. But sorrow without action helps no one.
:5-11 Nehemiah’s confession of sin
Lesson
Healing starts with confession
Nehemiah recognized that the predicament of his nation was due to the
spiritual mess that Israel was in.
For years our nation has been on a slippery slope of immorality. I can’t
help but wonder if there isn’t a sense that God had in some way for a few hours
last week lifted His hand of protection from us to wake us up. That isn’t a very
pleasant or politically correct thing to think, but I think we owe it to our
nation to consider it.
As Americans, we all own some of the responsibility of the moral mess our
nation is in right now.
Nehemiah doesn’t say, “You wicked people, look at the mess you created!”
Our nation doesn’t need wild-eyed finger pointers, it
needs men and women on their knees weeping over our condition.
Nehemiah says,
(Neh 1:6
KJV) … we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house
have sinned.
The Bible says,
(2 Chr
7:14 KJV) If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear
from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
As an individual, if you choose to ignore the problems in your life, you’ll
stay stuck right where you are.
For us as individuals, God says,
(1 John
1:9 KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus Christ came two thousand years ago with one thing in
mind, to die on a cross and pay for our sins. Because He died in my place and
paid for my sins, I can receive God’s forgiveness. But in order to taste God’s
forgiveness, I have to admit that I have sinned and that I need God’s help.
Chapter 2
:1-8 Nehemiah decides to go (read vs. 1-6)
Lesson
God may want to use you
Some of you may go to New York and work. Some may join the military. For
some, the greatest work that needs to be done is right here.
In your own individual life, there may be a time when God wants you to step
out and do something about your situation. Some of us tend to just let
everything happen to us and we don’t take the initiative to be responsible and
take action.
Does God want to use you? I think He does.
:9-20 Nehemiah inspects the city (read vs.11-18)
Lesson
See what needs to be done
Take time to understand what needs to be done before you jump in. So often
we jump into things too quickly without really getting a grasp of what ought to
be done.
Sometimes I want to go off to the far reaches of the world, when the place
I’m needed most is right at home.
Lesson
Encourage others
Nehemiah’s heart is for building up, not tearing down.
Even though their enemies laughed, Nehemiah’s words encouraged the people
of Jerusalem and they responded by joining him to build.
Chapter 3
:1-32 The wall builders (summarize)
We won’t read it, but Nehemiah lists here which family and which group
built which part of the wall. As you look at the chapter carefully, you find
that for the most part, everyone built near their own house.
Everyone does their part, everyone builds a part of the wall by their house
Lesson
Find your place
Find your place to build. Find your place in the church. We’re having our
“Elders’ Potlucks” tonight. This would be a great chance to get to know some
other people in the church. This would be a great time to take a step towards
finding your place on the wall.
Chapter 4
:1-11 The enemy responds (read vs. 7-11)
When the Jews’ main enemies found out that they were determined to put up
the wall and create a safe city, they began to plot, threaten, mock, and
terrorize the people.
Lesson
There may be more terror
I hope we haven’t allowed ourselves the false sense of security in thinking
that there will be no more attacks. When the tragedy is all the way on the East
Coast, and it has been over a week and a half, after awhile it seems so
distant, so far away. We hear of all the increased security and we can get this
wishful thought that it will never happen again.
I’m afraid that our world has changed. There will be more “Sanballats”,
“Tobiahs”, and “Osama bin Ladens”. And they will do their best to strike fear
and terror in our hearts and cause us to stop.
In our own personal lives, beyond the terrorists, Satan will try to keep
you subdued by fear.
How does Nehemiah handle the terrorism?
He prays
(Neh 4:4 KJV) Hear, O our
God; for we are despised …
(Neh 4:9 KJV) Nevertheless
we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night,
because of them.
Lesson
Handle fear with prayer
If you haven’t noticed yet, Nehemiah is a man of prayer. All through the
book you read how Nehemiah handles each situation by first praying, then
acting.
David wrote,
(Psa 34:4 KJV) I sought the
LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Pray as Nehemiah prayed – tell God about the problems, ask God to work
specifically in the things that make you afraid, pray with others.
Illustration
DO IT AGAIN, LORD by Max Lucado © September 15, 2001
(Sent to me by our friend in Peru, John Bonner)
Dear Lord,
:12-23 The work continues (read vs. 15-18)
Lesson
Keep working, sword in hand
(Neh 4:15 KJV) …we returned
all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
Nehemiah and the people didn’t stop when the threats came. They kept
working.
As they worked, they had their weapons with them so they would be ready to
defend their city if an attack came.
The people worked with a trowel in one hand, and a sword in the other.
I think for us as Christians, we need to have the tools for our work in one
hand, and OUR SWORD in the other, the Word of God.
It’s in God’s Word that we will find strength and comfort.
(Psa 119:28 KJV) My
soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
(Psa 119:50 KJV) This
is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
(Psa 119:92 KJV)
Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine
affliction.
Lesson
Work together
Nehemiah wasn’t alone in the work. The entire city worked together to
rebuild.
Illustration
The following is from a letter by a professional businesswoman and her
return flight to D.C. on United Airlines after the terrorist attack of 9/11/01
-
"I just wanted to drop you all a note and let you know that I arrived
safe and sound into Dulles Airport tonight [9/15] at about 6:00. It was an
interesting flight.
The airport in Denver was almost spooky, it was so empty and quiet. No one
was in line for the security check point when I got there so that went fairly
quickly, just x-ray of my bags and then a chemical test to be sure nothing
explosive was on them. Then I waited 2 1/2 hours to board the plane. What
happened after we boarded was interesting and thought I would share it with
you.
The pilot/captain came on the loudspeaker after the doors were closed. His
speech went like this:
"First I want to thank you for being brave enough to fly today. The doors
are now closed and we have no help from the outside for any problems that might
occur inside this plane. As you could tell when you checked in, the government
has made some changes to increase security in the airports. They have not,
however, made any rules about what happens after those doors close. Until they
do that, we have made our own rules and I want to share them with you.
Once those doors close, we only have each other. The security has taken
care of a threat like guns with all of the increased scanning, etc. Then we
have the supposed bomb. If you have a bomb, there is no need to tell me about
it, or anyone else on this plane; you are already in control. So, for this
flight, there are no bombs that exist on this plane.
Now, the threats that are left are things like plastics, wood, knives, and
other weapons that can be made or things like that which can be used as
weapons.
Here is our plan and our rules. If someone or several people stand up and
say they are hijacking this plane, I want you all to stand up together. Then
take whatever you have available to you and throw it at them. Throw it at their
faces and heads so they will have to raise their hands to protect themselves.
The very best protection you have against knives are the pillows and
blankets. Whoever is close to these people should then try to get a blanket
over their head -- then they won't be able to see. Once that is done, get them
down and keep them there. Do not let them up. I will then land the plane at the
closest place and we WILL take care of them. After all, there are usually only
a few of them and we are 200+ strong! We will not allow them to take over this
plane.
I find it interesting that the US Constitution begins with the words
"We, the people" -- that's who we are, THE people and we will not be
defeated."
With that, the passengers on the plane all began to applaud, people had
tears in their eyes, and we began the trip toward the runway.
The flight attendant then began the safety speech. One of the things she
said is that we are all so busy and live our lives at such a fast pace. She
asked that everyone turn to their neighbors on either side and introduce
themselves, tell each other something about your families and children, show
pictures, whatever. She said "for today, we consider you family. We will
treat you as such and ask that you do the same with us."
Throughout the flight we learned that for the crew, this was their first
flight since Tuesday's tragedies. It was a day that everyone leaned on each
other and together everyone was stronger than any one person alone. It
was quite an experience.
You can imagine the feeling when that plane touched down at Dulles and we
heard "welcome to Washington Dulles Airport, where the local time is
5:40". Again, the cabin was filled with applause.
- This is apparently a true account, confirmed at http://www.snopes2.com/travel/airline/pilot.htm
As a church, we need to work together. We also need to be healthy members
of our society, to be a part of the healing that God wants for our nation. We
need to work with others, we need to work together.
Did Nehemiah ever make it? Did he ever finish the wall?
Chapter 6
(Neh 6:15-16 KJV) So
the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty
and two days. {16} And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard
thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were
much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought
of our God.
Lesson
Don’t stop until you’re done
We need to be a part of encouraging our nation to keep at the efforts ahead
of us until we finish the job. As the President has reminded us, things are not
going to be fixed overnight.
In our own lives, we need to be careful that we don’t stop short of what
God has for us to do.
Illustration
In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote that “the cowardly thing is
also the most dangerous thing.” He used
the example of a mountain climber facing a climbing task that is very hard to
do, but is also the safest thing to do.
If he bypasses it, hours later he will be in far worse danger. He goes on to say,
“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to
learn to fly while remaining an egg. We
are like eggs at present. And you
cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”
- Sheila Walsh, Honestly, pg.208