10000 BRICKS: OPEN DOORS
Nehemiah 2:1–8
#10000Bricks
READ NEHEMIAH 2 FROM THE MSG
It was the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king. At the hour for serving wine I brought it in and gave it to the king. I had never been hangdog in his presence before, so he asked me, “Why the long face? You’re not sick are you? Or are you depressed?” 2-3 That made me all the more agitated. I said, “Long live the king! And why shouldn’t I be depressed when the city, the city where all my family is buried, is in ruins and the city gates have been reduced to cinders?” 4-5 The king then asked me, “So what do you want?” Praying under my breath to the God-of-Heaven, I said, “If it please the king, and if the king thinks well of me, send me to Judah, to the city where my family is buried, so that I can rebuild it.” 6 The king, with the queen sitting alongside him, said, “How long will your work take and when would you expect to return?” I gave him a time, and the king gave his approval to send me. 7-8 Then I said, “If it please the king, provide me with letters to the governors across the Euphrates that authorize my travel through to Judah; and also an order to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, to supply me with timber for the beams of The Temple fortress, the wall of the city, and the house where I’ll be living.” 8-9 The generous hand of my God was with me in this and the king gave them to me.
INTRODUCTION… The Farmer’s Daughter and the Three Bulls
Once upon a time, there was a young man who fell deeply in love with a farmer’s daughter. She was kind, strong, and wise She was the sort of woman you build a life with, not just dream about. One day, gathering all his courage, he went to her father and asked for her hand in marriage.
The farmer studied him for a long moment. Then he said, “I will give you a chance to marry my daughter, but only if you pass a test.” The farmer led him to a field with high fences and a heavy gate at one end. “Behind that gate,” he said, “are three bulls. I will release them one at a time. If you can catch the tail of any one of them, you may marry my daughter.”
The young man swallowed hard but agreed.
The farmer opened the gate, and out charged the first bull—huge, muscular, snorting, with horns like spears. The ground shook under its hooves. The young man took one look and thought, That thing will kill me. He jumped out of the way and let it thunder past.
The farmer nodded and went back to the gate.
Out came the second bull—bigger, meaner, faster. Its eyes were wild, its shoulders like boulders. The young man thought, That one’s even worse than the first. Again, he stepped aside and let it pass.
His heart was pounding now. But he told himself, Surely the third one will be different.
The gate opened a third time. Out walked a bull that looked… manageable. Smaller. Slower. Not nearly as frightening as the others. The young man felt relief flood his chest. This is the one. This is my chance. He ran toward it, reached out with confidence—and froze. The bull had no tail. No handle. No place to grab. No way to hold on. And just like that, it passed him by.
The farmer closed the gate, turned to the young man, and said, “You may go now.”
TRANSITION / BACKGROUND ON NEHEMIAH
Today, we are continuing a series of sermons from the Book of Nehemiah all about some building efforts. The Book of Nehemiah is the 16th book in the Old Testament and has 13 chapters with 406 verses. It is a historical memoir as it was written by Nehemiah. Nehemiah lives after the Babylonian armies smash Jerusalem to pieces (2 Kings 25) and devastated the countryside (Jeremiah 32). Nehemiah lives after the Babylonians killed many of the priests and leaders (2 Kings 25) and deported the young, the skilled, and others deemed of use. Nehemiah lived after some of the Jews had returned home from exile. Nehemiah was born in exile as he had never seen Jerusalem or even been there.
We started last week in Nehemiah chapter 1 where his brother and some others travel to him to tell him that Jerusalem is still broken down because the city has no walls or gates. If Jerusalem were a car, it’d be a Chevy Vega or a Ford Pinto. This wrecks Nehemiah emotionally, spiritually, and even digs into his identity as a Jewish person. He fasts and prays. Chapter 1 ends with the words: “Now I was cupbearer to the king” (1:11).
TRANSITION
Let’s dig into Nehemiah 2. Nehemiah chapter 2 shows us, as we compare the name of the months in 1:1 and 2:1, that three to four months have passed between the events of chapter 1 and chapter 2. Nehemiah has been wrestling and praying about broken-down-Jerusalem for a while. An opportunity to act on what God was up to had not been revealed. Chapter 2 brings Nehemiah his opportunity. As I was looking over chapter 2, I noticed the face, the request, and the favor.
THE FACE (VERSES 1-2)
RE-READ NEHEMIAH 2:1-2 (ESV)
In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2 And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid.
Nehemiah relates how a few months later after hearing the news about Jerusalem, that he looked sad in front of the king. Regardless of any problems or issues, the king’s servants were expected to keep their feelings hidden and display happiness. I even read how ancient art depicts servants coming before Persian kings with their right hands palm-out in front of their mouths to keep the king from smelling their bad breath. You had to act a certain way in the royal court.
Nehemiah had a burden for Jerusalem. He was forming a plan of what he would do if he got the opportunity, but thus far he had hidden that burden from the king. He served. He played the role. He looked the part. Persian kings were notorious for being paranoid about their servants so anything amiss would be noticed by the king.
We know Nehemiah is emotionally jarred from the news about Jerusalem. In chapter 1 we saw:
Verse 4: “sat down and wept and mourned for days”
Verse 4: “continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven”
Verse 6: “hear the prayer of your servant”
Verse 6: “we have sinned against you”
Verse 7: “we have acted very corruptly”
The word translated “sad” in Nehemiah 2:1–2 is actually a very strong and expressive Hebrew word that is much deeper than just feeling a little unhappy. It literally means “bad,” “evil,” “distressed,” “troubled,” or “broken.” The king noticed that brokenness had crept into Nehemiah’s heart. This concerned he and the queen who relied on steady Nehemiah for their safety. Again, this is not the normal word for feeling a little sad or having a bad day. It means deep inner distress, a heavy burdened, troubled heart, grief that shows on your face, and emotional pain that is visible. We might say: “he looked crushed.” The MSG Version uses the word: “hangdog” (I like that).
Nehemiah himself says that he had not been sad in the presence of the king before. This shows that his burden for Jerusalem had grown so heavy that it poked through the surface. The king asks what is bothering Nehemiah. Nehemiah decides to take the rare opportunity to be honest with the king about his burden.
TRANSITION
Verses 1-2 share with us that one day Nehemiah did not mind his face and his burden for Jerusalem poked through. Verses 3-5 move on to Nehemiah’s request of the king.
THE REQUEST (VERSES 3-5)
READ NEHEMIAH 2:3-5 (ESV)
I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”
Nehemiah addresses the king in a normal manner. Kings always want to live forever and be well known. Nehemiah addresses the king and describes his issue. He does not mention Jerusalem by name but mentions how the place of his ancestor’s graves is broken down and destroyed by fire. He relates the distressing news that his home-city is in ruins.
In Nehemiah 2:4, when the king asks, “What are you requesting?”, Nehemiah does something remarkable and also something in keeping with his character. Nehemiah prays. He is standing in the presence of the most powerful man on earth at that time and yet, in that decisive moment, his instinct is not political calculation but spiritual allegiance. Nehemiah serves King Artaxerxes faithfully, but he knows his ultimate loyalty is not to a throne in Persia but to the Throne of Heaven. He respects earthly authority, works within earthly systems, and yet he answers to YHWH God.
If I am honest, the same tension lives in us. We may love our country, be grateful citizens, and even be strong patriots, but our ultimate allegiance is to God… or should be. We may hold deep political convictions, but like Nehemiah, our highest allegiance is not to a political party or a particular platform or a particular president, but to Christ. You may think this doesn’t apply to you, but it does. Confusing political and theological loyalty is common in America today and very very very common… in Indiana.
In a moment of beathing in and out, Nehemiah shows us how to live as faithful servants in an earthly kingdom without ever forgetting that we belong to a greater one. When the moment of decision comes… he prays… not because he is weak, but because he knows Who is the True King.
Nehemiah has his allegiance and focus in order.
Nehemiah has his priorities straight about what is most important.
Nehemiah requests to be sent away to repair the “city in Judah.”
TRANSITION
It is at this time that King Artaxerxes has a decision to make. The next verse (verse 6) makes me think that the king and queen chatted for a bit, but the king has to decide if he will grant the request of Nehemiah. In the first 8 verses of chapter 2, we saw the hangdog face, we saw the bold prayer-fueled request, and now in verses 6-8 we see the favor.
I happen to think King Artaxerxes had every reason to say no: Jerusalem had a rebellious past, the project cost money, and Nehemiah was too valuable to lose. And yet he also had good reasons to say yes: stability, loyalty, and peace in a volatile region. What looks like a political calculation is, God using imperial political power to accomplish divine purposes. Nehemiah didn’t manipulate. He prayed. And God aligned the burdened servant with the Sovereign King of Kings by moving the heart of an earthly king.
THE FAVOR (VERSES 6-8)
READ NEHEMIAH 2:6-8 (ESV)
And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. 7 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.
So, what happened as Nehemiah was standing there?
We can see from the passage not only what happened, but why it happened.
Nehemiah asks for letters of safe conduct which was a necessity in those days for a larger entourage. The kings blessing would allow them to travel un-attacked and let officials know Nehemiah and his group were not a raiding party or invading force. He asks for money and supplies to rebuild the walls and gates. He asked for time off away from the royal court. Nehemiah had a big ask. He asked for time off, safe passage, and for the king to pay for it all. That is huge! It was granted.
Why was it granted?
Was it because Nehemiah had been faithful to the king and it was a reward?
Was it because Artaxerxes wanted a stable Jerusalem which meant a stable empire?
Was it because Nehemiah was a wizard at persuasion?
It was in fact none of those things… even if some of them might be plausible.
Verse 8 states very clearly: “for the good hand of my God was upon me.” Nehemiah is stating that it was not luck or skill or karma or chance or destiny or an accident, but God actively at work. “The hand of God” in Scripture is a picture of:
God’s power
God’s favor
God’s active involvement in events
This means that YHWH God is actively involved in our lives and is not distant. When God’s hand is upon us, He is not just watching, but He is working. He is opening doors, aligning timing, softening hearts, preparing relationships, and ordering circumstances.
This means that God shows us favor and grace when we don’t deserve it. Nehemiah planned. He prayed, but he did not control the opportunity given to him with the King of Persia. God made a way for Nehemiah to act on his holy burden.
Nehemiah wanted God’s hand on his life. We want God’s hand on our church. We want God’s hand on our families. We want God’s good hand on us. When God’s good hand is upon our lives, it doesn’t mean everything is easy, but it does mean nothing is wasted and nothing is random because we are in the center of God’s will.
ILLUSTRATION… The Farmer’s Daughter and the Three Bulls
Once upon a time, there was a young man who fell deeply in love with a farmer’s daughter. She was kind, strong, and wise She was the sort of woman you build a life with, not just dream about. One day, gathering all his courage, he went to her father and asked for her hand in marriage.
The farmer studied him for a long moment. Then he said, “I will give you a chance to marry my daughter, but only if you pass a test.” The farmer led him to a field with high fences and a heavy gate at one end. “Behind that gate,” he said, “are three bulls. I will release them one at a time. If you can catch the tail of any one of them, you may marry my daughter.”
The young man swallowed hard but agreed.
The farmer opened the gate, and out charged the first bull—huge, muscular, snorting, with horns like spears. The ground shook under its hooves. The young man took one look and thought, That thing will kill me. He jumped out of the way and let it thunder past.
The farmer nodded and went back to the gate.
Out came the second bull—bigger, meaner, faster. Its eyes were wild, its shoulders like boulders. The young man thought, That one’s even worse than the first. Again, he stepped aside and let it pass.
His heart was pounding now. But he told himself, Surely the third one will be different.
The gate opened a third time. Out walked a bull that looked… manageable. Smaller. Slower. Not nearly as frightening as the others. The young man felt relief flood his chest. This is the one. This is my chance.
He ran toward it, reached out with confidence—and froze. The bull had no tail. No handle. No place to grab. No way to hold on. And just like that, it passed him by.
The farmer closed the gate, turned to the young man, and said, “You may go now.”
APPLICATION
* How often does God bring real opportunities into our lives and we let them pass because they look too hard?
* How often does God bring real opportunities into our lives and we let them pass because they look too risky?
* How often does God bring real opportunities into our lives and we let them pass because they look too costly?
* How often does God bring real opportunities into our lives and we let them pass because we weren’t paying attention?
In Scripture, we see this pattern again and again of opportunity given and not taken:
In Numbers 13, Israel stands at the edge of the Promised Land and says, “the giants are too big”
In Luke 18, the rich young ruler walks away because obedience costs too much
In the Gospels, the disciples are often afraid of the storm, afraid of the crowds, and afraid of the cross
We often wait for something safer, easier, or more comfortable thinking that safe, easy, and comfortable is God’s will for us. It may not be! The safer, easier, more comfortable opportunity often turns out to have no tail to grab.
What does this have to do with our church?
Today we (we as in the church in general) are beginning to think about the funds needed for our proposed new sanctuary. Right now, our leaders are praying about what they are able to sacrifice for the new building to lead the way. They are having bulls run by them and they are prayerfully deciding if they can grab the tail or not. They are standing before the king and the question: “What are you requesting?” is being posed. This is a process and not something that can be done overnight. The task of building a new sanctuary is not a small task and so there is much prayer, planning, and consideration going on right now.
Pretty soon it will be the rest of the congregation’s opportunity to make a statement about the future of our church family. I am praying that all of us, leaders included, have a God-given burden for the need of the new sanctuary and when the opportunity comes… we find ourselves with “the good hand of our God upon us.”
This is not something that I can manufacture in us and for us and to be honest… I don’t want to. May we be open to the Lord placing a burden on our hearts so that when the time comes, we are willing to take the risky costly hard path to serve the Lord.
What does this have to do with us?
This idea of the God-given opportunity relates not just to us as a church family, but to us on a personal day-to-day level. I don’t know how often, but I am confident that if you are a believer in Jesus, God will send opportunities our way to share the Gospel, have spiritual conversations, help someone in need, or make God famous. These opportunities are at times hard, risky, and costly. When God gives us the opportunity to join His will, we need to be ready and willing to walk through the door. Walk in obedience. Grab the tail. Grab the opportunity to follow Him. May we be open to the Lord placing a burden on our hearts so that when the time comes, we are willing to take the risky costly hard path to serve the Lord.
INVITATION
CONCLUSION
