“THE HAND OF GOD UPON ME” Neh. 2:8b
FBCF – 6/14/20
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Newsweek article – Doing research this past week preparing sermon. Did Google search for “the hand of God” just to see what some commentators & pastors had written. Surprised to see something pop up on the Newsweek.com website. I don’t normally think of Newsweek when think of conservative evangelical Christianity. So, I clicked on it to see what was written, expecting something negative, or at the very least, slanted against or away from showing Christians in a positive light. But I was surprised.
What I found was an anonymous article written in March, 1999, that is a powerful testimony of a man who gave His life to Christ at the age of 16, & said this in his testimony: “As a teenager, I needed to know for certain that I was right w/ God. I could not help but admit to myself that I was purposeless & empty-hearted. In a word, I was spiritually dead. But I know that God always had His hand on my life, leading me step by step.” The writer of this testimony shared that a few years later, as a student at a Bible college in FLA, he went out onto a golf course on a moonlit night, got down on his knees on the 18th green, & said, “’Lord, I’ll go where you want me to go, & I’ll be what you want me to be.’ Immediately, I felt a great peace in my heart.” (https://www.newsweek.com/gods-hand-my-life-163722)
I think it’s interesting that there was no author listed – just “Newsweek staff.” Says to me that this could be ANYONE’S story. It could be YOUR story.
- It could be YOUR story of God’s hand on your life.
- It could be YOUR story of realizing your sinfulness, your lostness, & your need for Jesus.
- It could be YOUR story of complete surrender to Jesus as the Lord of your life – “go where you want me to go – be what you want me to be.”
EXPLANATION – Open Bibles to Neh. 2:8b.
OT book of Nehemiah is a history book that tells the story of the rebuilding of the walls around the city of Jerusalem that had been torn down by King Nebuchadnezzar. Nehemiah’s heart is broken. It’s broken over the destruction of the walls. But it’s even more broken over the sinful condition of his heart & the hearts of the people of God. Chapter 1 tells that part of the story as he cried out to God in confession & repentance, & asked God to help him. And the chapter ends w/ an interesting stand-alone statement: “I was cupbearer to the king.”
Nehemiah:
- Layman
- Leader
- Loyal – to the king, his friends/family, God
- Loved his God & God’s people
Chapter 2 happens about 4 months after the events of chapter 1. God did not send Neh immediately after Hanani told him about the situation. Neither did Neh just take off on his own. And he didn’t immediately ask for permission to go. What he DID do was PRAY & WAIT for God’s timing.
While he was doing his normal, everyday job, the king noticed that he was obviously sad about something & asked about it. It was in this moment, when he was going about his regular duties that God opened up the opportunity for him to tell the king about what was going on & ask the king for his assistance. At the end of his requests, Neh said this: “And the king granted me what I asked, FOR THE GOOD HAND OF MY GOD WAS UPON ME” (v. 8b). Once he knew that, he moved forward in faith & confidence to do what God told him to do. And that’s the application for our lives today:
APPLICATION – When you know God’s hand is upon you, you can move forward in confidence & His strength to do His will.
How to know that God’s hand is upon you:
- Ask for it
- Position yourself under it
- Believe it
And when you know His hand is upon you, you have:
HIS HAND OF PROVISION – Neh seemed to be in an impossible situation – walls destroyed, gates burned, & he’s just a wine-taster for the king. Looks pretty bleak!
But not when God’s hand is upon you b/c His hand is a hand of provision – He will ALWAYS provide for His children – WITHOUT FAIL!
There’s another OT person who found themselves in a seemingly hopeless situation – Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, in 2 Chron. 20. Found out that a massive army was forming up to attack him. Struck fear in his heart, as it would any of us. And in 2 Chron. 20:12, we read these simple, but powerfully profound words: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Jehoshaphat knew to turn his gaze away from his enemies, & put it on God, who would provide for him.
- Nehemiah did the same thing.
You & I can count on God’s provision for us, too.
- Matt. 6:33
HIS HAND OF POWER – No way Neh could do all that he did in his own power. Had to have the power of God’s hand on him.
Listen to this quote from a 19th century theologian named Charles Hodge:
When really weak in ourselves, and conscious of that weakness, we are in the state suited to the manifestation of the power of God. When emptied of ourselves, we are filled with God. Those who think they can change their own hearts, atone for their own sins, subdue the power of evil in their own souls or in the souls of others, who feel able to sustain themselves under affliction, God leaves to their own resources. But when they feel and acknowledge their weakness, he communicates to them divine strength.
In other words, when we recognize how weak we are, then we are ready to rely on how powerful God is.
It had to seem ludicrous that a guy like Nehemiah, a cupbearer for the king, would tackle a project as overwhelming as the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem! What does a cupbearer know about architecture, engineering, & construction? Crazy, right?
- Just as crazy as a Baptist church in a small MS town attempting to impact the nation & world w/ the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ!
- Can’t do it if the hand of God’s power is not upon us!
o BUT IT IS!
HIS HAND OF PROTECTION – 4:9 – Neh’s enemies didn’t want to just interrupt the work on the walls – they wanted to kill him & all those who were working on the walls. Neh’s response to the opposition? “So we prayed to our God & stationed a guard b/c of them day & night.”
God’s hand of protection came to them through the wisdom He gave to Neh & the others as they devised plans to protect themselves as they worked. There was even a time when half the men were working on the walls, & the other half were standing behind them w/ spears & bows & shields.
Do you see the application right here in this room? The hand of God’s protection is found right here in your brothers & sisters. We’ve got to protect each other & protect God’s Church!
- Sure, there are times when God supernaturally protects us in our lives from accidents, storms, & other dangers.
- But, many times, the protection is found in the Body of Christ! That’s why we must work so hard to protect it!
o Protect the unity – protect against divisiveness & factions
o Protect the love – protect against gossip, against hurtful words & actions, against unforgiveness & bitterness & broken relationships.
o Protect the doctrine – protect against false teachers & those who would try to lead others astray.
HIS HAND OF PROMISE – Nothing like a father’s hands.
- When I surrendered my life to the ministry as a junior in high school, Daddy told me that he never wanted me to worry about my income. He promised to take care of me. From those hands came money when I needed it through the years.
- Also, from those hands came discipline when I needed it – support when I needed it – encouragement when I needed it – strength when I needed it.
- And right up to end of his earthly life, my daddy’s grip was still strong.
- There’s just nothing like a father’s hands.
Jesus made a promise to us that involved His Father’s hands:
- John 10:28-30 – “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, & no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, & no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”
God’s hand of promise means that He will provide for us; He will discipline us; He will support, encourage, & strengthen us.
But, most of all, it means that He promises to hold onto us forever when we give our lives to Him!
