Well if you want to text, then
it's Nehemiah chapter 2 verse 18. Then 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. though I've given that as a text
I'm not really going to focus on that particular verse much
it's a bit ambitious because today I want to really look at
some points from Niyamaya chapter 1 through to chapter 6 includes this evening as well
not all this morning and the idea the plan it may not work but the plan is
perhaps a few thoughts from chapters 1 to 3 this morning and 4 to
6 this evening so is not really homing in as
you can see on a particular verse but some principles and some
thoughts. Now an overall summary of Nehemiah. This book tells a story of a
faithful leader guiding his people through the physical and spiritual
rebuilding of Jerusalem. In the 20th year of Artaxerxes
king of Persia, which was about 445 or 444 BC, Nehemiah was cupbearer
to the king. Learning that the remnant of
Jews in Judah were in distress and that the walls of Jerusalem
were broken down, he asked the king for permission to return
and rebuild the city. Jerusalem had a temple but there
was no protection for the city from further attack. Nehemiah
travels to Jerusalem and uses his leadership skills to rally
a city-wide construction crew. Within a few weeks the walls
around Jerusalem were built and standing tall and their enemies
lost their confidence. In chapters 1 to 7, Nehemiah
recounts the events of his temporary return to Jerusalem from Persia
as governor. Nehemiah leads and directs the
project. Each family built the section
of the wall directly in front of their houses. And with hard
work, the wall was astonishingly completed within 52 days. This method allowed the remnant
to feel an identity and uniqueness in their part of repairing the
walls of Jerusalem. From chapters 8 to 13, which
we won't consider, is a time of Israel finding and re-establishing
themselves again as a nation after the long period of the
exile in Babylon. Ezra leads all the Jews in a
renewal ceremony. This incorporated a public teaching
of the law in which it was read and explained. For example, the
recognition of the Sabbath day was reinstated. They understood
that if they were to survive they must remember and obey God's
laws. Nehemiah establishes policies
and addresses the issue of mixed marriages then condemns it. One of the main concerns was
that the mixed marriage families were not teaching their children
the Hebrew language. But the later chapters we won't
consider. But let's begin then at the beginning
with chapter one. Nehemiah, a Jewish official serving
in the Persian court, there he receives news of the dire conditions
in Jerusalem. The city walls lie in ruins and
the people are demoralized. Deeply distressed, Nehemiah prays
to God for guidance and strength and he seeks an audience with
the king. In chapter 1, verse 1, we're
told it's the month of Chisle. And that is the equivalent of
our November, December. Because at the beginning of chapter
2, we have the month of Nisan, which was four months later,
our sort of March, April time. In verse 6 of chapter 1. Let thine ear now be attentive,
and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy
servant, which I pray before thee now. day and night for the
children of Israel thy servants and confess the sins of the children
of Israel which we have sinned against thee both I and my father's
house have sinned so Nehemiah was a man who prayed and we sort
of see this particularly in the first couple of chapters he identifies
with the sins he says we have sinned it doesn't say it's just them he
identifies with them we have sinned verse 4 says that he prayed before
the God of heaven and that's very much the theme of these
first couple of chapters where he prayed and that's a lesson for us all
isn't it to be men and women of prayer Luke 18 1 tells us Our Lord says he spake a parable
unto them to this end that men men and women ought always to
pray and not to faint not to give up to pray and to keep on
praying. But verse 11 of chapter 1 says of Nehemiah that he was
the king's cupbearer. Now the dictionary of the Bible
published by Charles Scribner's sons offers this commentary on
the office of cupbearer. The holder of this office was
brought into confidential relations with the king. must have been
thoroughly trustworthy as part of his duty was to guard against
poison in the king's cup. So he's a man of prayer and he's
someone who's trustworthy but he's also brave because presumably
in tasting the wine for poison Nehemiah could be poisoned himself
so he's a man of prayer he's trustworthy and he's brave and
obviously very concerned about his people there in Jerusalem
about the city and about the state of his people Moving into chapter 2, we read that Nehemiah gains favour
from the king and asks permission from King Artaxerxes to travel
to Jerusalem and initiate rebuilding efforts. Moved by Nehemiah's
request, the king grants his wish, provides him with resources
and support. Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem
and discreetly inspects the damaged city walls under the cover of
night. He unveils his plans to the leaders
and the people, inspiring them to join him in rebuilding the
walls. Their enthusiasm commitments
solidify the shared purpose of restoring the city. the chapter highlight Nehemiah's
courageous leadership and his ability to motivate the community
there towards the common goal. In verses 1 to 10 of chapter
2 Nehemiah is sent to Jerusalem and verses 10 to 20 11 to 20 he inspects the walls. So this is at the beginning of
chapter 2 we're in the month of Nisan, March, April, four
months later than the first chapter. And Nehemiah was serving at one
of the king's feasts which was a private drinking party and in verses one to four came
to pass in the month Nisan in the 20th year of our exorcise
of the king that wine was before him i took up the wine and gave
it unto the king now not being before time sad in his presence
wherefore the king said unto me why is i countenance sad seeing
thou not sick this is nothing else but sorrow of heart Then
I was very sore afraid, said unto the king, Let the king live
for ever. Why should not my countenance
be sad, when the city, the place of my father's sepulchres, lieth
waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? Then
the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I
prayed to the God of heaven. So there we have instinctively
praise. yes he's asked a request and
so he prays and Nehemiah we read there was
was afraid and there was a law amongst Persian kings that no
mourning was to take place in their presence because it could
give rise to suspicion So no wonder Nehemiah feared for his
life. Verse three, it says the words,
let the king live forever. And this was sort of what was
always said as a preliminary remark before asking a favor. So that was sort of an introduction
so the king would know he's going to ask me something. Let the
king live forever. We see Verse five again, the
spirit of prayer. And I said unto the king, if
it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in
thy sight, that thou wouldst send me unto Judah, unto the
city of my father's sepulchres, that I may build it. And 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. So he prayed
and then was speaking to the king, presenting the situation. And the queen was present. We
see that in verse six, the queen also sitting by him. And it never
really was such that queen sat at a formal banquet. You read
about that in Esther. So this was quite unusual that
the Queen was present. And I'm reminded of the words
in Proverbs 21.1 where it says, the King's heart is in the hand
of the Lord as the rivers of water. He turneth it whithersoever
he will. And that's good to know. And it's good to know now, isn't
it? people might seem to be very powerful than a nation but the
King's heart is in the hand of the Lord let's always remember
that and then we sort of have in verse
7 verse 7 Moreover, 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. So there was a plan of action.
And that's sort of what we had with Nehemiah, that he sort of
planned. And that's a sensible thing to
do, isn't it? To make plans. These letters
of authorization directed to the governors in all the province
of Persia to pass through their regions to be given timber. As
we also read for the work of rebuilding the city. So really
then for the next few verses, we really have the planning. and so Nehemiah prayed about
things but he didn't just pray he then sort of planned we read in James chapter 4 go
to now ye that say today or tomorrow we would go into such a city
and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas
ye know what shall be on the morrow for what is your life
it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth
away for that ye ought to say if the Lord will we shall live
and do this or that so it's always a good thing to
make plans isn't it it's sensible to make plans whatever it is
but if we are the Lord's we must always bear in mind if it's the
Lord's will we can't be sure that that will
definitely happen that we will definitely do that or go there
or whatever so if it's the Lord's will and so it's important that we
seek the Lord's will and it's not always easy to know the Lord's
will is it with things in life and some the heart is deceitful
above all things and very often we might be sure that something
is God's will it might sound very right it might sound very good but then it ultimately it
turns out that it's it's not the Lord's will after all and it's not always easy knowing
the way and God's will and we need to seek the Lord we don't
want to sort of take a lucky dip sort of attitude there is
the the rather funny example of one who wanted to know God's
will for his life or what he should do that day. So we got
his Bible and then he, it was closed the Bible and then he
sort of opened it and he stuck his finger into God's Word and the verse that
he landed on was Judas hanged himself and said well I don't
fancy that one so I said well I'll do it again so he closed
the Bible and went through the same procedure did again this
time it says go and do thou likewise so it's a funny example but it's
true it's a serious side isn't it we shouldn't use God's word
as a kind of a lucky dip or even like with just thinking of maybe
just focusing on one verse and think that must be the way forward
maybe thinking about sort of a getting married and a marriage
partner and we're told aren't we in scripture not to be unequally
yoked with unbelievers and you say well you know my girlfriend is a Christian so that must be
God's will but bring other scriptures to bear as well other scriptures
that say husbands love your wives is there a love for that person
is there an affectionate love for that person you know bring
bring other scriptures to bear on it not just taking one verse
bring the whole of God's Word and other scriptures to bear In verse 10 in chapter 2 we do
read about Samballot the Horonite and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite
and also Gishem the Arabian is mentioned in verse 19. And where a good work of God
is concerned there will always be opposition Sambalad was a Horonite from
Moab, Beth-Horon which was within the Old Kingdom of Samaria so there was a profession of
faith so he was sort of like a religious enemy whereas Tobiah
an Ammonite was more of a secular enemy.
We read in Deuteronomy 23, 3 and 4, an Ammonite or Moabite shall
not enter into the congregation of the Lord, even to their tenth
generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the
Lord forever, because they met you not with bread and with water
in the way when you came forth out of Egypt, and because they
hide against the Balaam, the son of Beor of Pephor of Mesopotamia,
to curse thee. So there was sort of like a religious
and a secular enemy there. And so it is, isn't it, with
the church. Sometimes it can be trouble within,
not just from the outside. But more of opposition later,
because it intensifies later. And we'll see that, God willing,
this evening. In verse 17, we read, Then said
I unto them, You see the distress that we're in, how Jerusalem
lie of waste and the gates thereof are burned with fire. Come and
let us build up the wall of Jerusalem that we may no more reproach. So there was bringing to the
attention of others the work, getting other people involved. It's a good work as we saw in
our text. It's a good work. And we see how the Lord indeed
had so worked upon the king's heart that permission was granted. So the word good is mentioned
quite a few times in these chapters and they're in verse 18 at the
end about a good work and doing the Lord's work well
it's a good work isn't it to do the Lord's work they say it's
a good work it's good to be involved in the work of God So there's planning and then
there's performance. Let's do it. And so help is needed in doing
the work. And then we move into chapter
three, which I didn't read. That's a longer chapter. But
this chapter showcases the collaborative effort of rebuilding Jerusalem's
walls. the people together. It meticulously lists the various
sections of the wall and the specific groups who took part
in the reconstruction. The lists include priests, merchants
and people from nearby towns highlighting the unity and widespread
participation in the project. So we see this chapter is well
organized and a great coordinated effort in the work. And it reflects
something of Nehemiah's administrative skills in this work of restoring the
city. Now chapter three, as I say,
I didn't read that chapter at the beginning because it's quite
a long chapter. as you can see and there's a lot of names in
the chapter and a lot of gates that are mentioned and sometimes
chapters that have lots of names in We sort of, particularly in
public, we don't read them because it's quite challenging for the
one reading and for those who are listening. But there's nothing
stopping us reading them in our own homes, in our own situations
where we are to read these chapters. And we're told, aren't we, in
2 Timothy 3.16 that all scripture is given by inspiration of God
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness. So it's all God's Word, isn't
it, that we have. And if we have a problem with
certain chapters The problem is not God's Word. The problem
is with us. So may we submit to the Lord
and ask for help in being able to understand or to gain some
benefit from these chapters. But in many passages of God's
Word, as I say, particularly 1 Chronicles, the early chapters
of that book it's just name after name after name and then in Exodus and Leviticus
you've got the furnishings of the tabernacle in the temple
and you've got laws and it just goes on but there's great detail
with them which shows that God is a God of order if you sort
of read any of those passages you would see a great detail
with the furnishings and where they are and the number of them
and everything great meticulous detail because God is a God of
precision a God of order and not of confusion and thinking about lists just
a little list of names don't bother with them imagine if our
name is actually in a list is in the list and perhaps our names
feature in certain lists that there are and suddenly that list
becomes suddenly a lot more important because our actual names in the
list yeah I'm listed there and I'm you know and there's other
people perhaps famous people whatever they're listed as well
and suddenly the list takes on a new meaning because our name
is in the list but the most important list for
us is that we are in the Lamb's Book of Life That's the most
important list. It says in Revelation 3, 5, he
that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment.
I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but
I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. So the most important list to
be in is in the Lamb's Book of Life. to have our name there. And that's
the list we want to be on. And by the grace of God, we will
be there. We confess our sin and realize
our only hope of salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ. So may it be that indeed our
name will be that our name is in that list and that we can
say, as I quoted regarding Marian, that Jesus is mine and he is
mine by the grace of God. We read in chapter three, As
I said, all these names and gates. Chapter one speaks about the
sheep gate. And it was so that usually sacrifice
was brought through here to the temple. And so sacrifice, well,
the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ Well, that's so important,
isn't it? Our only hope is in what the
Lord did for us in his sacrifice there at Calvary. And of course, we bring a sacrifice
of praise and worship is surely of prime importance. Verse two speaks of the fish
gate. and fish were brought from the
Jordan and the Sea of Galilee to the market. And in verse 4 we read, Annexed
unto them repaired Merimoth, the son of Uriah, the son of
Chaz. Annexed unto them repaired Meshulam,
the son of Berechar, the son of Meshizabel. Annexed unto them
repaired Zadok, the son of Barna. And verse 30, after him repaired Hananiah the
son of Shelemiah, Hanan the sixth son of Zaleph, another piece,
after him repaired Meshulam the son of Berechar over against
his chamber. So the mention of Meshulam kind
of gets mentioned twice. A zealous worker. And what about us? Are we zealous in the service
of God? the Lord knows our hearts anyway
so he knows if we are or not but may there be that that faithfulness
may there be that willingness that zealousness about serving
God that's wonderful isn't it it will pull together and working
together and using the skills and the gifts that God has given
us for his service we read in 1 Corinthians 12 from verse 14
about gifts and where it says for the body is not one member
but many for the foot shall say because I'm not the hand I'm
not of the body is it therefore not of the body And if the ear
shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is
it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye,
where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where
were the smelling? But now hath God set the members
every one of them in the body, as it have pleased him. And if
they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they
many members, yet but one body. and the eye cannot say unto the
hand I have no need of thee nor again the head to the feet I
have no need of you that sort of speaks isn't it of using the
gifts that the Lord has given us and not sort of hiding them
away using them but also not thinking yourself
to be the other hand indispensable people can't do without me but
also not thinking well I'm I've not really got any gifts so I'm
not really of much use now we all have gifts don't we we all
have talents and the Lord has given her so let's be helped
to use them for his boast about them not think well they can't
do without me because I'm the only one who can do that but
at the other end of the go I'm useless I can't do anything And
those words in 1 Corinthians 12 hopefully give a sort of balance
that we will recognize the gifts that the Lord has given us and
use them for his glory and appreciate the gifts that others have as
well. But let's not be like those in
verse 5 of chapter 3. Unto them the Tychoites repaired,
but their noble was put not there next to the work of the Lord. So these nobles of Tychoa, well
they were sort of lazy and I guess we all come across people who
are a bit like that in different walks of life. There are those
who seem to work really hard, they give above their duty and
there are others who are quite lazy or will just do the bare
minimum. I guess that happens in society
at large. But whatever, there was a great
togetherness about the people. Great or small, they got stuck
in and worked hard. It was great sort of teamwork. And sometimes a team you know a football team or whatever
they can often have great success it's not based on individual
very very talented players but we're a team we've got no superstars
but we all work together as a team and often see how that team does
really well because everyone works together and there's no
sort of superstars in the team. Verse 13 speaks The Valley Gate repaired Haman
and the inhabitants of Zenoa. They built it and set up the
doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the
thousand cubits on the wall under the Dung Gate. The Dung Gate
repaired Malkiah, the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of
Beth Hacharem. He built it and set up the doors
thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. So a thousand
cubits, so that circumference of the wall was about four miles. And this valley gate, and so
a number of gates are mentioned, this valley gate, and that is
believed to be the gate through which the Lord passed when he
went to Calvary from Jerusalem. And then the dung gate is mentioned. And as the name suggests, that's
all where the rubbish gets carried through that gate. And it was perhaps the worst,
the hardest gate to repair. And it was Malkiah's job, responsibility
to repair that. so Nehemiah is a man of yes a
godly man prayerful man and one who showed great bravery and showed great organization
and planning and had a good business brain on him and all is is going
well really isn't it up to really the end of this third chapter
but this evening we'll look at chapters four to six because
I mentioned about the opposition and that really intensifies when
we get there but may we learn some principles
from this about May the Lord help us to pray, to seek his
face. And may we realize when we make
plans, say, if the Lord wills. And may there be a great spirit
of togetherness and working together in the cause of Christ. And there's much that can be
said and looking, reading through these chapters, I can't really
sort of just sort of focus on one verse or one chapter because
these six chapters they sort of blend in, flow in together
I trust quite nicely. We'll leave it there for this
morning and then God willing pick up on Nehemiah 4, 5 and
6 this evening. And I just trust these few remarks
will be of some help to us. Amen. Our closing hymn this morning
is from Gadsby's hymn number 675. Come boldly to a throne of grace,
ye wretched sinners come, and lay your load at Jesus' feet,
and plead what he has done. Hymn number 675 to the tune 129.
? Only to the throne of grace ?
? We wretched sinners come ? ? And lay your load at Jesus' feet
? ? And be what he has done ? When I come some soul may say,
I'm him and none of all. Like a plant still has hope,
I'm there. I'm still. of each other, the throne of
grace, and those that bind the chain. Ye who are messengers,
sinners, friends, the fruit of grace. For Jesus peels the fruit, and
those he kills he makes. Renew, O Lord, my strength and
vigour every day, or I shall tar at length and faint upon
the way, No stock will keep you upon my ground. My all is in
thy storehouse found. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us
all now and forevermore. Amen.