CHALLENGE
TEXT: Nehemiah 1.3-6, 11
INTRODUCTION:
The book of Nehemiah is the conclusion to Old Testament history. He is giving the history of the third and final return of the Jews from captivity to the city of Jerusalem in 444 BC. This book emphasis the importance of spiritual recovery and a commitment to God and His Word.
Nehemiah plays an important role in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. He held a prestigious position. He was cupbearer to the king of Persia (Artaxerxes I). He was born in captivity. Later in life he wants to find out what it is like in Jerusalem. He is told that the walls are destroyed. He then gets a burden for doing something for God. The building of the walls had been attempted before, but the king had stopped it. It appears that the people became satisfied just the way they were.
HIS PAIN
A. Nehemiah took the wine and gave it unto the king,
". . . Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence." (Nehemiah 2:1)
B. His pain could not be concealed it from the king.
C. Having a sad countenance before a king could result in your death.
". . . Then I was very sore afraid," (Nehemiah 2:2)
HIS PRAYER
A. Nehemiah had to be asked for his request before he could present it to the king.
"Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request . . ." (Nehemiah 2:4)
B. However, with us, we can,
". . . come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
C. We know that God knows our needs in advance.
". . . your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." (Matthew 6:8)
D. We also know that when we,
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" (Matthew 7:7)
E. Notice what Nehemiah prays for.
1. Prayer for forgiveness.
". . . hear the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned . . . and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses." (Nehemiah 1:6, 7)
2. He reminds God of His promises.
a. ". . . If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments . . . I (will) gather them from thence . . . " (Nehemiah 1:8, 9)
b. That was like the children of Israel in bondage.
". . . God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob." (Exodus 2:24)
3. He had faith, just as we should have.
". . . If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." (Mark 9:23)
F. God has told us.
"He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him." (Psalms 91:15)
HIS EVALUATION
A. He came with full authority of the Persian empire, yet he waits three days before he looks around and tells the others what God had laid upon his heart.
"So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. And 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 . . ." (Nehemiah 2:11, 12)
B. Nehemiah was waiting for the time to tell them.
"And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it . . ." (Nehemiah 2:16)
C. No one knew but Nehemiah, sometimes only God is the one who knows what is about to take place.
D. He saw the devastation, and then tells them what can be and will be done.
". . . 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." (Nehemiah 2:17)
E. They rallied behind him.
". . . And they said, Let us rise up and build . . ." (Nehemiah 2:18)
HIS OBSTACLES
He came with full authority of the king of Persia, yet he still had enemies who came against him, we come with full power and authority of Christ, yet we still have enemies who will come against us.
FROM WITHOUT
A. The enemy laughs at them.
1. "But when (they) . . . heard it, they laughed us to scorn . . ." (Nehemiah 2:19)
2. "But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall . . . (he) mocked the Jews." (Nehemiah 4:1)
B. The enemy spoke to them, and scorned them.
"What do these feeble Jews?" (Nehemiah 4:2)
1. Feeble means, withered and miserable, they had no human resources that people could see, yet they had a spiritual source.
"will they fortify themselves?" (Nehemiah 4:2)
2. How can feeble Jews build a wall strong enough to protect themselves from the enemy.
"will they sacrifice?" (Nehemiah 4:2)
3. Are they willing to pay the price that it takes to see the complete results.
"will they make an end in a day?" (Nehemiah 4:2)
4. The people implied that the Jews did not fully understand how difficult the task was, and would soon get discouraged and quit.
"will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?" (Nehemiah 4:2)
5. The material they were using would not hold back the enemy.
"if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall." (Nehemiah 4:3)
6. A small animal could knock down your wall.
C. The enemy could not stop them by laughing at them, so he was going to try a new tactic.
"But it came to pass, that when (they) . . . heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it." (Nehemiah 4:7, 8)
D. Satan will do us the same way.
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8)
FROM WITHIN
A. The people saw that it was to much for them.
"And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall." (Nehemiah 4:10)
B. Sounds like the Israel about to enter Canaan.
". . . We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we." (Numbers 13:31)
C. We must be strong in God.
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." (Ephesians 6:10)
D. This is God’s work, when He builds, there are not enough devils in hell to break it down. Satan may come against it, but will never overpower it.
E. We must not become down-trodden.
If you become down-hearted with the negative, then stay away from those who are negative.
NEHEMIAH’S OPTION
When the enemy came in the people prayed.
"Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them." (Nehemiah 4:9)
HIS FEAT
A. Nehemiah knew who was going to do the work.
1. God was the one.
"Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build . . ." (Nehemiah 2:20)
2. We should know that,
". . . If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)
3. Moses encouraged the people to,
". . . Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD . . ." (Exodus 14:13)
4. He is God.
"Be still, and know that I am God . . ." (Psalms 46:10)
5. He began rebuilding the wall because he knew it was the will of God, and He would accomplish it.
B. This feat was accomplished because of four reasons, the people:
1. put their whole heart into it
". . . the people had a mind to work." (Nehemiah 4:6)
"My son, give me thine heart . . ." (Proverbs 23:26)
2. They prepared themselves.
". . . So they strengthened their hands for this good work . . ." (Nehemiah 2.18)
3. were praying and watching
"Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them." (Nehemiah 4:9)
"Take ye heed, watch and pray . . ." (Mark 13:33)
"Watch ye and pray . . ." (Mark 14:38)
"Praying always . . . and watching . . . " (Ephesians 6:18)
4. demonstrated courage, determination, and faith
". . . Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible . . ." (Nehemiah 4:14)
". . . the soul of the diligent shall be made fat." (Proverbs 13:4)
"Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless." (2 Peter 3:14)
C. The people had to fortify themselves:
1. They positioned people in the weak places.
"Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places . . ." (Nehemiah 4:13)
2. They encouraged one another.
"And I looked, and rose up, and said . . . Be not ye afraid of them . . ." (Nehemiah 4:14)
3. The supported each other.
"And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons . . ." (Nehemiah 4:16)
4. They were ready to fight for each other.
"In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us." (Nehemiah 4:20)
CONCLUSION:
Some 52 days later, the walls are completed. "So the wall was finished in . . . fifty and two days." (Nehemiah 6:15) One man had a vision, and encouraged the others to rally with him, and great things happened. God would like for us to see great things take place in our lives. God wants our church to reach out to others. God wants us to be blessed beyond measure.
Satan will come in and try to destroy. He will ridicule us and scorn us. Yet we must hold on and do not give up. There is nothing worth quitting for. An old saying states, “A winner never quits and a quitter never wins.” How true that statement is. If we hold on to God and never turn around or give up, We will see many things happen.
We stand today on the verge of a new tomorrow. What do you want tomorrow to look like. We see it and we must want it. Nehemiah saw what tomorrow was, that was a completed, secure and stable wall to protect the city of Jerusalem. With there courage, that thing came to be.
When this thing happens, people will look around and know that it was God who done the work. "And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God." (Nehemiah 6:16)
