October 13, 2002
1And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. 2Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, 3And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? 4Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it. 6And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. 7Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; 8And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
9Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. 10When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. 11So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. 13And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. 14Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. 15Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned. 16And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
17Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. 18Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. 19But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? 20Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:1-20 (KJV)
Have you ever heard someone say, I wouldn’t bet the farm on it?
I first heard that expression in connection with the political season of 1959-60. It was uttered by a less-than-prophetic man in our community, who thought that “upstart” Senator from Massachusetts….somebody named Kennedy…didn’t have a prayer of beating out Vice President Nixon in November.
Did you ever wish you had bet the farm on some long shot? My Dad sent me a story about six retired Floridians who were playing poker in the clubhouse at Century Village, when Meyerwitz bet (and lost) $500 on a single hand. In horror, Meyerwitz stands up, clutches his chest and drops dead at the table. Showing respect for their fallen comrade, the other five complete their playing time standing up.
Finkelstein looks around and asks "Now, who is going to tell the wife?" They draw straws, and Goldberg picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, don’t make a bad situation any worse.
"Gentlemen! Discreet? I’m the most discreet mensch you will ever meet. Discretion is my middle name; leave it to me."
Goldberg goes over to the Meyerwitz apartment, knocks on the door, the wife answers, asks what he wants. Goldberg declares, "Your husband just lost $500, and is afraid to come home." She hollers, "TELL HIM TO DROP DEAD!" Goldberg says, "I’ll go tell him."
Today the Nehemiah Journal shows us a man who bet the farm nine different ways. In the previous chapter (1) we saw that Nehemiah, cup-bearer to the king of Persia, had gotten the bad news that his homeland, Jerusalem was in disgraceful rubble. The walls were broken down, and the people were severely distressed.
For four months Nehemiah fasted, prayed and mulled-over in his mind just exactly what he could do about it. He was a thousand miles from home in service to a king who had ordered the rebuilding of Jerusalem to cease. It wasn’t normally a good idea to speak out on such issues; his boss, Artaxerxes was not a nice man!
In some ways perhaps you and I can identify with Nehemiah. I’m certain none of us have the job of tasting the king’s food to make sure it isn’t poisoned (who would want that job, anyway?). However, we can identify with seeing the walls of our society crumbling (divorce, drugs, crime, homes in shambles), and wanting to do something, yet feeling helpless.
In order to do something, Nehemiah had to bet the farm. He had to stake it all on God coming through. He had fasted and prayed, and worked on plans to act – if he ever got the chance – and that’s what betting the farm is all about…being ready when God makes the impossible possible! Let’s discover together nine ways to bet the farm, ways to be ready to do whatever God calls you to do:
1. When the stakes are high, pray, plan and trust God.
Nehemiah spent four months (between Chisleu, December and Nisan, April), fasting, praying and planning. Some things require quick decisions; you cannot spend a long time praying when you’re on a train track and the whistle is blowing! When, however, you are faced with a major decision, even in time of crisis, God’s plan includes including Him. The higher the stakes, the more we should fast and pray.
I am aware of a man who was involved in a crisis not too long ago who took off from work for the day to pray. God blessed him with wisdom and the right spirit in the crisis. The higher the stakes, the more reason to trust God. Betting the farm means praying, planning and trusting God to provide an opportunity to act.
2. When afraid to serve, serve anyway.
Nehemiah knew how this whole situation was shaping-up to be a dangerous minefield. Navigating the political waters of Susa’s capitol brought visions of hangings!
One of his predecessors, Esther had access to the king as well. It is even recorded in the book named for her how the Jews were subject to the whims of the king…even to death. She recorded how no servant was allowed to come near the king with a sad face (Esther 4.2). The task itself, of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem would be difficult and dangerous.
Conventional wisdom told Nehemiah that approaching the king was suicide.
A young soldier who was fighting in Italy during World War II jumped into a foxhole just ahead of some bullets. He immediately tried to deepen the hole for more protection and was frantically scraping away the dirt with his hands. He unearthed something metal and brought up a silver crucifix, left by a former resident of the foxhole.
A moment later another leaping figure landed beside him as the shells screamed overhead. When the soldier got a chance to look, he saw that his new companion was an army chaplain. Holding out the crucifix, the soldier gasped, "Am I glad to see you! How do you work this thing?"(1)
Well, how you work this thing about betting the farm for God is to remember that fear has no place alongside faith. When you’re afraid to serve, serve anyway. And remember His promise…
2When thou passest through the waters,
I will be with thee; and through the rivers,
they shall not overflow thee:
Isaiah 43:2a (KJV)
3. When told to speak, pray first.
King Artaxerxes asked Nehemiah to tell him what he wanted. This was the invitation for which the cup-bearer had prayed. Yet, even at this time, after four months of fasting, praying and laying out plans, Nehemiah was reluctant to speak before asking God one more time.
We call it a “prayer-fax” or “knee-mail” – whatever you call this darting arrow of a request, it was meant by Nehemiah to subject himself to the King of Heaven before he spoke to the king of Persia. That is showing proper respect – in the order in which it should be shown. And, incidentally, a quick prayer in emergency is a good thing. We ought to keep in mind that it is not a substitute for four months of earnestly seeking God’s face!
4. When sacrifice calls for the best, volunteer.
I personally believe that prior to the king’s invitation to make a request Nehemiah had not laid out ALL the plans for rebuilding. I think between verses 4 and 5 Nehemiah discovered that God was moving his heart to be personally involved. He probably flinched when he said the words, “send me” to the king.
Some of us in this congregation would be surprised to hear the words tumble from our own lips, send me, O Lord, send me. We think, “I’m no Isaiah. I’m no William Carey or Lottie Moon.” Well, my friends, where do you suppose God gets His servants; if not here, where; and if so, why not here? Don’t ever try these words on God:
*I don’t speak so good…..It didn’t work for Moses.
*I’m just a kid…..It didn’t work for Timothy or Jeremiah.
*I’ve sinned, y’know unclean lips…..It didn’t work for Isaiah or Peter.
*I’m all alone in this…..It didn’t work for Elijah. And so on…
Nehemiah, like the man who fell off his horse and exclaimed, “Saved between the saddle and the ground” made up his mind that he would volunteer to serve because this called for the best, and he was willing.
Have you got time to serve God? No? Volunteer anyway.
5. When the task is big, plan big, and ask in faith.
The king had entertained Nehemiah’s request to go by saying, “and how long will this take?” Once Nehemiah’s plan was affirmed by the king’s readiness to let him go, he understood that he had understood God correctly. Nehemiah then asked for the moon. That, my friends, is just an extension of faith-asking. We understand that God is in control.
1The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD,
as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Proverbs 21:1 (KJV)
Betting the farm means you pray, asking God for as many resources as you will need – and then set to work planning out how you will respond when God acts.
Chuck Swindoll is a well-known Bible expositor. He said, “I weary of people who call it “faith” when they can’t tell you their plans. Have you ever heard an individual say, “No, we’re not going to think this through. We’re just going by ‘faith.’ God will lead us.” The calculating businessman says, “Uh huh, yeah. You’ll be back needing more bucks before you’re halfway there.” The presence of faith does not mean an absence of organization.” (3)
Do you have a plan? Do you have a plan on which you’ll bet the farm when God calls? Betting the farm is an act of faith that includes using all you’ve got, including your God-given wisdom. Nobody ever said you’ve got to check your brains at the door when you come to church.
Following God is not a game of “blind man’s bluff”. People who think blindly wandering their way through life without regard to the costs they inflict on others who bail them out constantly are not acting in faith – they’re an irresponsible drain. You cannot plan for every contingency, but you must set goals, and lay plans to reach those goals.
We have set a goal to have another Bethlehem presentation this year. If we sit back and say that it is faith that will build those booths, and faith that will sew the costumes, collect the hay, refreshments, artifacts, and organize the people, we will wind up with a “Bethle-mess!” We are planning big, because we are praying and asking God for big results!
6. When God wants YOU, don’t imitate someone else.
If you check-out Nehemiah’s predecessor, Ezra the priest, you find that he went back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. He went alone. In Nehemiah’s journal we find that this loyal layman went back accompanied by half the Persian army.
Whatever the reasons – and many scholars suggest many theories – it is good for us to recognize that God uses whom He chooses. Most preachers imitate their heroes. I have a friend who sounds exactly like Billy Graham sometimes. Now, that isn’t bad, but if God had wanted Dr. Graham to preach the sermons my friend was supposed to preach, my friend would be a shoe salesman somewhere.
My pastor, L.B. Thomason had a gracious way of welcoming folks to church. With a grand South Georgia slurring drawl, he would intone, “Wellllcommmme, Friiieends”. Now, I couldn’t do that – I liked it, but it just isn’t me to talk like that.
And you don’t have to be a millionaire donor to the building fund if you aren’t a millionaire. You don’t have to preach if you’re not called. But, you DO have to do what God called YOU to do! He calls and uses people in different ways…His ways!
7. When opposition comes, close your mouth and open your eyes.
It is so important to focus on what God is doing. When Mary heard the angel tell her she would bear the Messiah, and she saw the kings from afar worship her little son, she pondered all these things in her heart. She kept her mouth shut, but her spiritual eyes focused.
Nehemiah looked and looked, and kept his observations to himself. He knew the critics would try to derail his plans. He pondered and focused on what God was up to.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:13
Sanballat and Tobiah were local governors of Samaria and Ammon, respectively. They had had some influence in Jerusalem. The coming of Nehemiah with papers from Artaxerxes meant their power was diminished. So they sniped. It is true that when God decides to move it will always disturb those who are comfortable, and who don’t know Him very well.
Our job is to maintain focus on who is in charge. It is hard to do that with our mouths running and eyes closed. Jimmy Johnson was the coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 1993. As they prepared to face their opponents in the Super Bowl that year, Johnson told his players, "…if I laid a two-by-four across the floor, everybody there would walk across it and not fall, because our focus would be on walking the length of that board. But if I put that same board 10 stories high between two buildings, only a few would make it, because the focus would be on falling."
Johnson told his players not to focus on the crowd, the media, or the possibility of falling, but to focus on each play of the game as if it were a good practice session. The Cowboys won the game 52-7.
8. When it is time to speak, trust God’s people with the truth.
Betting the farm is a great expression for this one. It is hard in our day to trust people. All you can do is lay out the truth and let it rule the day. When Nehemiah gathered the people together he pointed to the walls, the broken, charred remains of the greatness of God’s city Jerusalem, and he said, “Brothers, that’s a disgrace!” That was the truth! He also said, “Brothers, let’s put it back up!” That was encouragement. And then, Nehemiah trusted the people to respond. That was the hard part…and that was God’s part.
In our day we have self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous. All the groups start with facing reality…”Hi, I’m Russell, I’m a chocoholic!” In the matter of faith and salvation, the time to speak is called confession. “Hi, I’m Russell, I’m a sinner.” You have to trust God with the rest. He has promised to forgive. Do you trust him?
9. When unbelief mocks, stand firm!
In Hebrews 11 we have the “roll call of the heroes of the faith”. Part of that reminiscence is about how the prophets of old were mocked and ridiculed. I believe the writer of Hebrews looked at Nehemiah’s journal. The NIV translates verse 19b, they mocked and ridiculed us. There are times when you have to stand firm. In fact, betting the farm is all about standing firm for God and what’s right.
Some say Dan Quayle and George H.W. Bush lost the 1990 election because they stood firm. Quayle was ridiculed and mocked for his statements about Murphy Brown, Candace Bergen’s character on the TV show. Quayle said Murphy Brown, as a single mother of choice, is not the best role model. A mom and dad should be in the home raising a child.(4)
In his book Standing Firm, Dan Quayle talked about the pain of losing the election. In the long run, he lost nothing. It was the American public who lost.
Recently Candace Bergen herself in an interview on national television referred to the issue, and said [my words] I never intended to portray single motherhood as the ideal.
The issue is unbelief. How do you recognize (and reject) unbelief, so that you can stand firm, and not just stand stubborn? Consider Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem the Arabian (v.19). They were, according to some scholars Yahwists (worshippers of Yahweh, the God of Abraham). However, they brought in some outside thinking; they worshipped the local pagan gods, including Baal. They named their children Jewish, Godly names, but mixed ungodly things with their worship. That is the essence of unbelief – anything that doesn’t give God the unquestioned first place of sovereignty! After all, He did say,
“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20. 2-3
Nehemiah recognized unbelief when he heard it. And he stood firm. If you want to bet the farm on anything, make it this:
what God has said “do”
I will do;
what God has said “don’t”
I won’t!
I’d bet the farm on that any day!
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Endnotes
(1) James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 254.
(2) Quoting Chuck Swindoll in How to turn intentions into actions, SermonCentral.com
(3) Defining the Vision by Todd Randolph on SermonCentral.com
(4) This is my recollection, not a direct quote.
