Nehemiah
Compassion
August 10, 2003
Nehemiah 1
Intro:
A. [Humor: Is That a Welcome?, Citation: Gary Shank, Olathe, Kans. "Lite Fare," Christian Reader.]
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B. Today we are moving to the OT book of Nehemiah and in the first chapter I want us to see some things about compassion.
I. Setting
Nehemiah 1:1-2 (NIV), The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
A. Return from Exile
1. The Jews had been living in exile from Jerusalem in Babylon.
2. We studied the book of Daniel in October and November of last year.
3. There we saw how King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came and besieged Jerusalem in 605 B.C.
4. The temple and the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed.
5. Many (including Daniel, Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego) were deported to Babylon.
6. Jeremiah had predicted that the exile would last 70 years, which we read about both in the books of Daniel and Jeremiah.
7. Then King Cyrus issued a decree allowing Jews to return to Jerusalem if they chose.
8. In 538 Zerubbabel leads a group of people back to Jerusalem.
9. Zerubbabel leads the group in starting to rebuild the temple, but the people got discouraged and the work stopped.
10. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah called on the people to complete the task and though the temple is far less splendid than Solomon’s original temple, the work is completed in 515 B.C. (23 years)
11. Then about 458, Ezra leads another group out of Babylon back to Jerusalem.
12. Ezra is given monies and materials to upgrade the temple.
13. And now we come to the first chapter of Nehemiah and the 20th year of King Artaxerxes I, which was about 444 B.C.
B. Remnant that Survived
1. Nehemiah’s brother, Hanani came to visit Nehemiah having previously been to Jerusalem.
2. Nehemiah was a cupbearer for King Artaxerxes I.
a. A cupbearer is a wine taster.
b. Now although we might think that this might be a great job, we need to understand there was a reason for the job.
c. The reason for the job was that people tried to poison kings by putting poison in their wine, so therefore they employed wine tasters.
d. Cup bearing was a serious job, because the King’s life was a serious matter.
e. There was therefore to be no displays of emotion in the presence of the King.
f. To violate this was punishable by death.
3. Nehemiah asked his brother, Hanani about the remnant that survived the exile and about the city itself.
4. Nehemiah was concerned about the shape of the city and the condition of the temple.
5. He also wanted to know about the Jewish people who were living there, even though foreigners were ruling them.
6. In verse 3, we see what the situation is like there in Jerusalem when Hanani answers…
II. Situation
Nehemiah 1:3 (NIV), They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire."
A. Restoration needed
1. Hanani told Nehemiah that those who had survived the exile and were currently living there were in great trouble and disgrace.
a. Hanani gave a bad report of how the people were doing.
b. “Trouble and disgrace.”
2. And Hanani didn’t have any better news about the city itself.
a. He said Nebuchanezzar had torn down the wall of the city.
b. And the gates had been burned with fire.
c. After 160 years, the city and the people were in BAD shape!
d. The city was in dire need of restoration.
B. Response needed
1. But not only was there restoration needed, there was a response needed.
2. What I mean is that there is often something that needs to be done, but nothing gets done.
3. Sometimes folks come to the conclusion that something needs to be done, but drawing the conclusion is all that actually gets done.
4. Not only did there need to be this appraisal of the situation, there needed to be some action.
5. Not only did there need to be the conclusion drawn that something needs to be done, but there actually needed to be something done.
6. Too often churches come to the conclusion that something needs to be done, but nothing happens.
7. Too often churches decide that something needs to be done, but nothing gets done.
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9. Not only was there an evaluation that needed to be done, there needed to be a practical response.
10. Something actually had to be done.
11. As you will see in the rest of this book, Nehemiah was not content to just talk about the terrible situation back in Jerusalem, Nehemiah was driven by a passion for God and compassion for his people to get something done!
III. Supplication
A. Compassion
Nehemiah 1:4 (NIV), When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
1. The very first thing that Nehemiah did when he got this news was he sat down and wept.
2. Nehemiah was moved with passion for God and compassion for people that he sat down and wept for several days.
3. Not only did he weep, he mourned (as at a funeral), he fasted, and he prayed.
4. As I said, he actually goes to Jerusalem and does something about the terrible circumstances there, but I want us to notice the wisdom in PRAYING FIRST!
5. And this wasn’t all that he did.
a. Again, too many churches just pray and that’s the end of it.
b. Sometimes that’s all that should be done.
c. But usually folks are just too lazy to get out of their comfort zones to undertake anything big for God and all they do is pray and then wonder why God doesn’t answer their prayers.
d. That’s NOT Nehemiah!
e. Nehemiah is going to do something, but he prays first to express his passion for God and compassion for people and to get wisdom and guidance for whatever he’s going to do about the situation.
5. There is great wisdom in praying before doing.
6. The rest of this chapter eavesdrops on his prayers…
B. Adoration
Nehemiah 1:5 (NIV), Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands,
1. Nehemiah began his supplication to the Lord with praise and adoration.
2. Nehemiah praises and adores His God.
3. Nehemiah cries out to the Lord God of Heaven.
4. The great and awesome God.
5. Nehemiah called out to Him who kept His promises with those who love Him and obey His commands.
6. The Psalms give us all kind of examples of ways to praise and adore God.
7. Nehemiah began his supplication on behalf of Jerusalem with praise and adoration.
C. Confession
Nehemiah 1:6-7 (NIV), let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
1. In verse 7, Nehemiah confesses that the people had not obeyed God.
2. He’s not necessarily confessing his own sin, but the sin of his people.
3. Jeremiah predicted the captivity and exile would result because of disobedience, and it happened.
4. Daniel read Jeremiah’s prophecies and confessed and repented on behalf of his people.
5. Nehemiah’s prayer is very similar to the prayer Daniel prayed nearly 80 years before…Daniel 9:4-6 (NIV), I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
6. Too often we overlook the fact that the part of the reason things are not the way they should be is because of us, God’s people.
a. Too often we overlook the fact that the reason things are so bad is because we have not be faithful to the work of the Kingdom.
b. Too often we overlook the fact that the reason there is so much immorality in the world is because we have not been the salt and light to the world that Christ said we should be.
c. We tend to look at the world and think that since we aren’t homosexuals, we don’t have anything to do with the problem.
d. We tend to look at the world and think that since we aren’t politicians, we don’t have anything to do with taking prayer and the Ten Commandments out of the schools.
e. 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
f. let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
7. Confession is a very important part of supplication.
D. Recitation
Nehemiah 1:8-9 (NIV), "Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ’If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’
1. Now Nehemiah is reciting God’s Word back to Him.
2. Daniel did the same thing… Daniel 9:11-14 (NIV), All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. "Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
3. Both Daniel and Nehemiah are reciting God’s Word in their prayers about the same situation some 80 years apart.
4. That is a great way to pray: pray God’s Word back to Him.
a. Do you want to know how to pray within God’s will? Pray His Word back to Him!
b. His Word is certainly His will!
5. The church in Acts 4 did the same thing in their prayer recorded in Acts 4:25-26 (NIV), You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: "’Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.’
6. Reciting the Word of God in our prayers is a very powerful way of praying!
E. Application
Nehemiah 1:10-11 (NIV), "They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man." I was cupbearer to the king.
1. Now Nehemiah is praying to God about how the Scripture that he just recited applied to the current situation in Jerusalem.
a. Nehemiah knew the blessings that followed obedience and the curses that followed disobedience as described in the Law of Moses.
b. So, Nehemiah is confessing and repenting on behalf of his people so that they can be restored to their former position of prosperity and blessing.
2. Daniel had done the same thing 80 years before: after reciting the same references to the Law of Moses, Daniel prayed… Daniel 9:15-19 (NIV), "Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. 17 "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."
a. Daniel applied the Scriptures to the current situation.
b. Daniel begged God to restore His people and His sanctuary.
3. Again the church in Acts 4 applied the Scripture to their current situation… Acts 4:27-30 (NIV), Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
a. The church applied the Psalm of David to their current situation.
b. They asked for God give the boldness and miracles in the face of their opposition.
Conclusion:
A. [Blaming God but Doing Nothing, Citation: Peter John Kreeft, quoted in Lee Strobel, The Case for Faith (Zondervan, 2001), p. 50; submitted by Aaron Goerner, Utica, New York]
In his book, The Case For Faith, Lee Stroble quotes a man who says…
On my door there’s a cartoon of two turtles.
One says, "Sometimes I’d like to ask why he allows poverty, famine, and injustice when he could do something about it."
The other turtle says, "I’m afraid God might ask me the same question."
B. Today I want to call Somerset to make supplication like these we have studied today…
1. Let’s ask God to move us to compassion by singing, “Change My Heart, O God.”
2. Let’s pray prayers of adoration. [Lead in prayers of adoration and allow time for others to pray as well.]
3. Let’s pray prayers of confession. [Ditto & participate in the Lord’s Supper]
4. Let’s pray prayers of recitation and application. [Ditto]
C. As we leave today, I want us to leave in an attitude of prayer about what God wants us to do and how we are going to do it.
