Nehemiah 1
"A Time to Build "

Gospelcom Bible Gateway

"¹ The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, ²that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. ³And they said to me, "The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire." ⁴So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. ⁵And I said: "I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, ⁶please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned. ⁷We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. ⁸Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, "If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; ⁹but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.'¹⁰Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. ¹¹O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." For I was the king's cupbearer."

INTRODUCTION:

This book continues the history of the children of the captivity, the Jews lately returned out of Babylon. We have a full account of Nehemiah's labours for them, in these his commentaries: wherein he records not only the works of his hands, but the very workings of his heart, inserting many devout reflections and ejaculations, which are peculiar to his writing. Twelve years he was the tirshatha, or governor of Judea, under the same Artaxerxes that gave Ezra his commission.

This book relates his concern for Jerusalem and commission to go thither, chap. 1, 2. His building the wall of Jerusalem, notwithstanding much opposition, chap. 3, 4. His redressing the grievances of the people, chap. 5. His finishing the wall, chap. 6. The account he took of the people, chap. 7. His calling the people to read the law, fast and pray, and renew their covenant, chap. 8-10. He peoples Jerusalem and settles the tribe of Levi, chap. 11, 12. He reforms divers abuses, chap. 13.

This was the last historical book that was written, as Malachi, the last prophetical book of the old testament.

Nehemiah was the Persian king's cup-bearer. When God has work to do, he will never want instruments to do it with. Nehemiah lived at ease, and in honour, but does not forget that he is an Israelite, and that his brethren are in distress. He was ready to do them all the good offices he could; and that he might know how best to do them a kindness, he makes inquiries about them. We should inquire especially concerning the state of the church and religion. Every Jerusalem on this side the heavenly one will have some defect, which will require the help and services of its friends. Nehemiah's first application was to God, that he might have the fuller confidence in his application to the king. Our best pleas in prayer are taken from the promise of God, the word on which he has caused us to hope. Other means must be used, but the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails most. Communion with God will best prepare us for our dealings with men. When we have intrusted our concerns to God, the mind is set at liberty; it feels satisfaction and composure, and difficulties vanish. We know that if the affair be hurtful, he can easily hinder it; and if it be good for us, he can as easily forward it.

Nehemiah is informed of the deplorable state of the Jews at Jerusalem, ver. 1-3. He fasts and prays, ver. 4-11.

Let's start though in Ecclesiastes 3.

Tonight we will discuss four ways that you can build God's kingdom. The year is 446-445 BC. Shushan is 150 miles from Babylon

I. He asked the right question (v1-2)

A. What was the first thing that Nehemiah did?

B. What was a cup-bearer and what was his responsibility?

C. Describe the characteristics of a cup-bearer?

D. Who was Artaxerses the First Longimonus?

E. What is significant of March 14 445 BC and what was it's relationship with Artaxerses?

F. Who was Artaxerses the stepson of?

G. Why was there a Jew in the position of a cupbearer to a Persian King?

H. What were the Jews doing in Persia?

I. What was Nehemiah's question?

J. What does this tell us of Nehemiah's heart and what was on his mind? Remember that he was 750 miles away from Jerusalem.

K. Do you care about the spiritual state of our community?

L. It is time for men to rise up and be concerned about the spiritual state of their families our church and our community. What will you do about this?

II. He felt the right emotion (v3)

A. What was the problem that he heard about?

B. What was his reaction to it? Why did he have such a reaction?

C. Can you say the same type of reaction would happen to you? Why not?

D. What is the big deal about not having walls surrounding the city?

E. Where is your heart for Jerusalem? Where is your heart for your homeland?

F. "The one who has no rule over his own soul is like a city broken down without walls"

1. What is your reaction over a church that splits?

2. What is your reaction to a Christian who does not fellowship in a church?

3. Remember Jesus having compassion over the multitude? What was His reaction?

4. Broken walls of a city also means broken families. Why is this?

5. What is your reaction to broken families in our church?

G. Reaction to need is vital. What will it determine?

H. Info leads to emotion. Emotion leads to reacton which ends in action.

I. What moves you emotionally? Does your heart break over the things that breaks God's heart? Why not?

III. He had the right reaction (v4-10)

A. What is the secret to the Book of Nehemiah?

B. Do you see yourself as part of the problem or part of the solution?

C. Ask yourself the question, "If everyone in my church was exactly like me, what kind of church would I be in?"

D. Are you filled with confidence in your prayers to God?

E. Are you timid and non-specific in your prayers to God or are you bold and specific?

F. Are you a promise keeper or a promise breaker?

IV. He performed the right action (v 11)

A. What was Nehemiah about to do with the king?

B. Notice the progression of Nehemiah in Chapter One.

1. He sat and wept

2. He knelt and prayed

3. He stood up and worked

C. How does this relate to Romans 12:1?

D. Whose kingdom was Nehemiah interested in building? What about you? Where are your priorities?

E. Who was Barron von Zinzendorf and the Moravian movement? This is what I have done for thee. What will you do for Me?

F. Ask not what God can do for you but what can you do for God?

G. Remember Paul on the Road to Damascus? He basically asked, "Who are you Lord and what can I do for you? "

H. Notice that Nehemiah was no one special but was a "lay" man, a cup bearer. This means that he can use you too.

APPLICATION:

1. Evaluate your daily actions in light of your emotions. Ask God to line up your emotions to those that move Him

2. Get a concordance and look up every occurence of prayer in Nehemiah and discuss the who, what, where, why and how of prayer in the Book of Nehemiah.

3. Ask God to make you a part of the solution not the problem

4. Ask God to show you how he can creatively use you to spread the kingdom right where you are.

MEMORY VERSE: Nehemiah 1:5-6

"I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, ⁶please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned.