Nehemiah: The Fix Nehemiah 1:1-11 ·
Today we're going to be looking at the prophet nehemiah. You know he was the shortest Prophet in the Bible don't you?
Sure, his name says it all Knee-High-miah.
I really like Nehemiah:
[1] Nehemiah is a man of prayer.
[2] Nehemiah has a tender heart
[3] Nehemiah’s job as cupbearer to the king is a dangerous one, where every test sip could be his last. To me this shows he is a man of incredible faith and his faith shows in the way he lives.
[4] Nehemiah not only has the favor of men, he has God’s favor, too.
[5] Nehemiah is an organizer, a planner, a thinker, a list-maker – a man after my own heart.
[6] Nehemiah is a leader.
[7] Nehemiah is a gifted public speaker.
[8] Nehemiah is a man of discernment. He hears from God and acts on what God gives him to do
[9] Nehemiah was not afraid. He believes God and continues the work God called him to in spite of mocking, plans of secret attack, lies and other threats from inside and out.
[10] In the book Nehemiah, it is very friendly to women.
Nehemiah mentions women. More than any other book.
Let's look at the passage that tells a portion of nehemiah's story
Nehemiah Chapter 1
[1] The words of nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital,
[2] one of my brothers, Hanani, came with certain men from Judah; and I asked them about the Jews that survived, those who had escaped the captivity, and about Jerusalem.
[3] They replied, "The survivors there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire."
[4] When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
[5] I said, "O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments;
[6] let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned.
[7] We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses.
[8] Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples;
[9] but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies,
I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'
[10] They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great power and your strong hand.
[11] O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man!" At the time, I was cupbearer to the king.
It appeared that God was working to restore his people, just as he had promised through Jeremiah and other prophets.
Thus Nehemiah was surprised to hear from his brother, Hanani, that Jerusalem still lay in ruins. And that news grieved Nehemiah greatly.
Nehemiah Responded and Acted Wisely
Nehemiah's initial response wasn't to run to the king for help; rather, he turned to God in prayer.
Nehemiah's mourning and fasting demonstrated to God and to those around him how sincerely he cared about the situation in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah confessed the sins that he and his ancestors had committed against God.
Then he turned to the king. Nehemiah must have done a good job as cupbearer: Artaxerxes was king for 40 years before dying of natural causes.
But even for someone in Nehemiah's trusted position, coming before the king was a scary proposition.
And Nehemiah was boldly asking for two enormous favors: permission to make the trip and the king's assistance in making it.
Even after having prayed for days, Neherniah silently said a quick prayer to God before making his request.
Nehemiah's Faith and Risk Paid Off
Nehemiah's prayer was answered abundantly. Artaxerxes gave him the time off he needed, letters assuring safe passage through lands along the way, and a guarantee of building materials.
In addition, the king gave him and his entourage an escort of officers and soldiers on horses! When Nehemiah prayed and humbled himself before God, God answered.
Nehemiah was a man of great faith.
And he needed that faith to complete the task God had placed on his heart, which was to rebuild the walls around the city of Jerusalem. Those wall were the cities protection from it's enemies.
They had been torn down by some enemies who had overthrown Jerusalem and now anybody and everybody could just walk in and do what they wanted with nobody to stop them. It would sort of be like leaving all the doors and windows of your house open and having a big sign in your front yard that said, "Free Stuff."
It made Nehemiah sad to hear how his home city was being treated and how the people were all afraid because they didn't have any protection.
So, he went to the King and the King noticed how sad he was and asked him why?
Nehemiah told the King and because Nehemiah had always been such a good worker and advisor then King sent him to repair the walls of Jerusalem.
So what did Nehemiah have to do?
I. Follow
First, Nehemiah had to follow God.. Nehemiah was a very faithful God follower.
That was one of the things the King liked about him.
That was why God called nehemiah to ask the King if he could rebuild the walls.
When our lives are thoroughly attached to God through faith and prayer and worship,
the wind of God's Holy Spirit can moves us to our destination as we follow God's plan for our lives. And in so doing, we bring glory to God.
II. Trust
Second, Nehemiah had to trust God,
just like Joseph.
Remember Joseph's brothers were jealous of him and sold him into slavery but Joseph never gave up believing and trusting in God.
God was right there holding Joseph up the whole time.
When we talk about faith what we're really talking about is trust.
Trusting God, who we can't see just like we can't see air, to hold us up in the midst of trials and troubles.
We trust that God is there.
Nehemiah had to trust God to lead him in what to do to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem so the people there would be protected.
III. Listen
Third, Nehemiah had to listen so he could know how to rebuild the walls because there just weren't enough people to go around
to have the huge work crews needed to repair and rebuild the walls.
Nehemiah had to learn what Martha learned from her sister Mary.
Nehemiah had to learn how to spend lots of time in prayer listening to God's plan and how God wanted the walls rebuilt.
If Nehemiah had spent all his time running off at the mouth and telling God how much trouble he was having and how he didn't know how to do this and didn't think he was going to get it done and never stopped to listen,
He never would have heard the solution would he?
And in order to be filled up with God's never ending love, Nehemiah had to listen.
And God's love is never ending.
When Nehemiah listened, God told him how to build the walls with the people he had.
The people of Jerusalem weren't called together and Nehemiah assigned each of them the task of rebuilding the wall in front of their home.
They weren't afraid to do that.
And the task wasn't too overwhelming.
And when the portion in front of their home was finished, it was tied into the portion finished by their next door neighbors and pretty soon
the walls were rebuilt, the gates were re-hung and the city was safe once again.
It was kind of like the old business adage: "How do you eat an elephant?" You have to listen for the answer. "One bite at a time."
IV. Repent
The Fourth thing Nehemiah had to do was to help the people turn around to a different way of thinking. He had to help them repent and change their ways.
When Jesus told Zaccheus to come down out of the tree so he could have lunch with him, Zaccheus was so moved and touched by God's love that he was changed and he repented.
Repenting is sort of like getting a do-over from God.
We get to start over.
No matter how big we get in the world. There's still no room for God unless we repent.
But when we do repent, then all the junk in our past is gone. It disappears and our lives get a do-over with God.
That's what Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem found out,
Our God is a God of do-overs and second chances.
V. Serve
Nehemiah knew that the best way to strengthen our faith is by putting it into action, by doing something with it just like the apostle Peter.
That's what the great commission is all about serving.
Jesus told us to go into all the world with the Good News, preaching, teaching, baptizing, making disciples, feeding, nourishing and caring about people in the world today.
In other words, we all need to serve,
that's the way God made us.
Nehemiah put his very life in God's hands and went to the King to make his request known,
he repented of anything he'd done wrong so he could go on this mission for God and serve both God and the people of Jerusalem and rebuild the walls so they were protected.
Conclusion
And that's all it takes for any of us to be Disciples who Soar to New Heights with God.
All we have to do is
follow, trust, listen,
repent and serve.
Sin damages our lives and pulls us from God.
Jesus gives us a path to seek God’s forgiveness.
Do you need God to restore an area of your life that has been broken down by sin?
Talk to God about it.
You don’t know what to say?
Begin by saying.
God, I confess this sin to you. THEN..
Follow Trust Listen Repent Serve
Here is a Challenges:
Make a list of all the ways you know you’ve disobeyed GOD.
Pray over that list, asking God’s forgiveness, and then throw that list away -- just like God has.
Amen