Nehemiah’s Mission
Nehemiah 2:1-20
Introduction
- Nehemiah is a great study of leadership, but also of obedience to God
- Last time we saw our man Nehemiah receiving very disturbing news
-- This news was about Jerusalem and its apparent fall into ruin; people disgraced
-- His heart is burdened, and he cries out to God to hear his prayer; grant him favor
- We were reminded that prayer is ALWAYS the right response to a challenge
-- Nehemiah’s prayer and reaching out to God are a model that we can all use
-- Today, we will see how his prayer is answered, and how God begins to use him
- A little longer than usual … please hang in there / Read Nehemiah 2:1-20
- Pray
∆ Point 1 – A Conversation with a King
- Our story now advances four months to the month of Nisan
-- IMP: From the initial prayer in Kislev, he’s been praying for 4 months
- Let’s chat … most of us get annoyed when God doesn’t answer in 5 mins
-- It is a sign of maturity to continue to seek after the Lord and desire His will
-- Nehemiah does exactly that by his prayer and his burden makes this obvious
-- APP: Crying out to God in Chapter 1 we see what strategic prayer looks like
- So now, he is presented with an opportunity …
-- Wine is brought to the king, probably at a banquet, and Nehemiah is cupbearer
-- He says in v1 that he has never been sad before the king before today
- Note: This would be considered a capital offense in this time
-- You do not approach the king with bad news; esp. with your own problems
-- Consider, going to work & having a bad day & your boss fires you
-- This would be MORE severe than that – it could mean imprisonment/life
- In these times, the king would also customarily grant favors to others
-- So Nehemiah makes the choice to show his heart’s emotion to the king
- And so the king asked, “Why do you look sad … or … what’s going on?”
-- Again: Servants were allowed to not bring their personal issues to work
-- You are serving the king, and in his presence you are to remember that
- When King Artaxerxes opens the door for Nehemiah, he walks right in
- Notice Nehemiah’s first words: “May the king live forever!” (He praises him.)
-- This would’ve softened him up, for the choice of words that he uses next (v3)
-- “Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
-- It’s a rhetorical question, but it definitely opens the door to conversation
- IMP: Nehemiah KNOWS that this is the king who approved the destruction
-- His response shows concern, but hasn’t mentioned which city he’s burdened for
-- This calculated response gives opportunity for a pivotal question from the king
- V4: “What is it you want?”
- Now, look at Nehemiah’s next action: “Then I prayed to the God of heaven”
-- We’ve been discussing on Sunday night’s the different type of prayers
-- This is a PERFECT example of spontaneous prayer in God’s word
- TRANS: After praying to God for four months, he is given a chance to ask
∆ Point 2 – Nehemiah’s Request
- Nehemiah starts out with a customary praise for the one he’s before (v5)
-- His petition is clear: Send me to the land of Judah so I can help them
-- APP: When you ask for things … you need to ask specifically
-- He’s been praying specifically, so at the right moment ask specifically
- EX: If you’ve been praying for someone’s salvation and the opp. is there …
-- You need to be brave and ask directly: “If you died today …”
- King Artaxerxes then asks about the trip: “How long do you need?” (v6)
-- Nehemiah more than likely set a shorter time than he thought he would need
-- Note: He’d be gone nearly 12 years (Neh 13); doubtful he said that here
- Then he really just goes for broke on his asks (v7-8):
- Letters for safe passage
• Re: This would be journey through very political regions in the area
• If stopped, he would need to prove he is supposed to be there
- Letters for the materials he will need (cannot build without supplies)
-- He would need lumber for three projects he will undergo:
• Beams for the gates
• Support and framing for the wall
• And to build a temporary residence (prob. his ancestral home)
- Nehemiah displays probably one of the greatest biblical concepts here:
-- Proverbs 29:18, “Without a vision, the people perish!”
- APP: I always have to ask this question when I study … “Why?”
-- We get our answer in v8: Because the hand of God was on me
-- His prayers have been answered, and it’s because God gave him favor
-- CHAL: When you pray, are you believing God to respond with His will?
- TRANS: Nehemiah then sets out on his journey to rebuild Jerusalem
∆ Point 3 – Journey to Jerusalem
- Nehemiah is also accompanied by members of the king’s army on this journey
-- It is assumed that the king would’ve known the journey would be tough (v9)
-- And perhaps, a show of force would keep Nehemiah from having conflict
-- HUGE: Nehemiah just wanted to go: see how God is providing even more?
- As with all journey’s that involve working for God: cue the party poopers (v10)
-- Sanballat was the Governor of Samaria (a region he’d have to pass through)
-- The reference to “the Horonite” is a nod to where he is from; which is insulting
-- This town, Horonite, is a little hole in the wall / insignificant town
- Tobiah more than likely served also in Samaria under Sanballat
-- His use of “The Ammonite” is also negative in its meaning in this verse
-- Tobiah had a Jewish name, but more than likely he was a mix and not 100% Jew
- APP: These are the antagonists -- opposed to God and to God’s work
-- They probably felt threatened by Nehemiah since he had “free passage”
-- Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem, and after three days’ rest, begins his work
- First, he starts with an inspection of what has to be done in this great city
-- Notice (v11), he still hasn’t shared the full vision of his mission
-- He takes the one horse he has, and rides the city to inspect its walls at night
-- Several would’ve been walking, so it’s going to take some time …
- Jerusalem at this time was approx. 48 sq. miles, or about 30,000 acres in size
-- To inspect the city on horseback would’ve obviously taken several trips
-- Also, Sanballat and Tobiah had allies so night would’ve provided cover
- Nehemiah inspects the gates (which we will cover next week) (v13-16)
-- And comes to a conclusion (v17): “This is a mess, and there’s lots to do here”
- TRANS: Nehemiah then shares with the group what is ahead of them …
∆ Point 4 – Revealing the Mission
STAY WITH ME HERE
- We don’t know the entire makeup of the audience, but they have influence
-- APP: When you are trying to get things done, you need leaders and movers
-- He’s not just making an obvious assessment, but he has a plan: Let’s rebuild!
- Nehemiah appeals to their heritage, and to what would’ve been burdening them
-- “We are a disgrace, we are shaming our God here, and need to fix this …”
-- “Our lineage and ancestors who put this here are disgraced and it’s up to us”
- HUGE: This is the same mission you and I have today in the church
-- We were given this heritage to continue -- to do what we’ve been taught
-- PRAYER OF MY HEART: Lord, give us favor like this while we work for you!
- Nehemiah tells them that God has provided, that His hand is upon Him
-- He knew that God was at work; he had the king’s support; let’s move on this!
-- It is the perfect opportunity to motivate a crowd to join in the fight for God
- HUGE: We live in a free nation, a land of opportunity to give, share, and love
-- Why are we afraid then to share with others what we’ve been given in Christ
-- IMP: Nehemiah shows us what courage looks like; do we use it also?
- However, the enemy quickly comes to oppose what God is doing
-- APP: The enemy will ALWAYS seek to shut down God moving forward
-- CH: Perhaps we too have succumbed to the enemy and have slowed down?
- Sanballat and Tobiah bring another to ridicule the project at hand
-- Gesham the Arab, was king of Qedar (area from Northern Arabia to Egypt)
-- APP: A rising Jerusalem could affect his authority in the region; so he joins in
- Mocking: “What is this you are doing … why would you ever want to do this?”
-- APP: There’s too much to do … Does the king know what you’re doing?
-- AKA: They will make fun of you, they won’t respect you, don’t invite them
-- Their taunts are a last ditch effort to get Nehemiah to succumb to fear; to quit
- Nehemiah is not going to play this game (RE: he even had royal papers)
-- He immediately goes right for Who gives him authority in this task (v20)
-- “The God of Heaven will give us success. We, HIS servants, will start …”
-- IMP: From the very beginning, Nehemiah is honoring God (the battle is His)
- We too are God’s servants and we will honor Him, fully, because He is God
-- The enemy on the other hand will have no share in this; this reward is ours
-- These hecklers are indeed outsiders and will not be able to stop this task
- TRANS: His boldness for the Lord is clear … how is yours? Let’s wrap up
∆ Big Idea
- Nehemiah has:
• Already prayed and received favor from God
• Received from God authority with the King’s backing to go
• Been given a clear mission to rebuild the city
∆ Comparison Chart
- But, haven’t we already received the same?
• Don’t we have favor from God to share His message?
• Don’t we live in a free land where we can share Christ to all?
• Don’t we have a clear mission to rebuild and bring others to Christ?
- Pray
