Rev. David Holwick ZJ Nehemiah series
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
November 12, 2006
Nehemiah 1:1 - 2:8
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I. When bad news arrives.
A. President Bush's bad news.
1) Worst possible election results.
2) He loses both houses of Congress and had to be nice to
Nancy Pelosi.
B. Nehemiah also got bad news. 1:3
1) Reports reach him that conditions in Israel are terrible.
2) Brief historical summary:
a) Israel had been a powerful and united nation under
David and Solomon.
b) They had a civil war that divided the country.
c) The Assyrians invaded and destroyed the northern
section, and almost destroyed the south (Judah).
d) The Babylonians came in and finished off the south.
1> The Temple was destroyed.
2> The walls of Jerusalem were knocked down.
3> Tens of thousands of the elite were driven into
exile.
3) Almost a century has passed since the Jews returned to
Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon.
a) Yet it is still a city in ruins.
1> Quite likely, the walls were further destroyed by
attacks mentioned in the book of Ezra.
2> It has little to protect it from attack.
b) Nehemiah has probably never been to Jerusalem, but
it is his ancestral home and he grieves for it.
C. Whether news is good or bad, what do you do with it?
1) Nehemiah could have ignored it.
a) After all, he had a cushy job in a foreign land.
b) Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the king of Persia (Iran).
1> He must have been trustworthy - poison was one
of the best ways to kill someone back then.
2> But he considered his faith to be more important
than his position.
2) He could have frozen up and done nothing.
a) Jews at this point had little power.
1> No army. No king. Not even really a nation.
b) Realistically, what could he have done?
c) He seems to have entered a stupor.
1> Nehemiah sat down and wept.
2> He withdrew from life for days.
3> Classic signs of depression.
3) Ultimately, he decided to change the situation.
a) Christians can learn a lot from his response.
II. Take it to the Lord.
A. Nehemiah prepared himself for serious prayer.
1) He mourned and fasted.
2) Fasting is not stressed by Baptists -- we prefer potluck
dinners -- but it has a long history in the Bible.
a) You give up something, usually food, to show God you
are serious about your request.
1> Moses fasted on Mount Sinai.
2> Jesus fasted in the wilderness.
3> An early American minister named Jonathan Edwards
fasted for 3 days, then preached "Sinner in the
Hands of an Angry God."
500 people were saved! #574
b) Jesus says particularly hard prayers should be
accompanied by fasting.
1> He also says any fasting should focus on God,
not draw attention to yourself.
3) Nehemiah's fast was probably not total.
a) His time of prayer lasts for four months, according
to the dates given in his book.
b) Also, he is a cupbearer and sipping wine is part of
his job!
c) Most likely, he spent several days a week depriving
himself of food so he would be more focused in
prayer.
B. His God was an awesome God. 1:5
1) Nehemiah's prayer begins with a focus on God's character.
2) 'Awesome' has lost some of its power.
a) Today it means simply 'cool.'
b) To Nehemiah, it meant he bowed in fear and wonder.
3) The God of power is also the God of love.
a) He refers to God's covenant of love.
1> God is committed to us.
2> He makes promises and keeps them.
b) So where is this love he promised?
C. Sin stands in the way. 1:6
1) Nehemiah makes a detailed confession.
a) Corporate confession is good, but there is danger in
saying "we have sinned" and really thinking
"everybody else has sinned."
b) Nehemiah confessed his nation's sins, his family's sins,
and his own personal sins.
2) Half-hearted confessions are popular these days.
a) Our best confessions actually blame someone else.
b) "I didn't inhale" is a typical theme.
1> Nehemiah does not try to soft-sell his condition.
2> He recognizes why they were exiled.
3> He also knows what God wants them to do now.
III. Only God can make it happen.
A. Nehemiah reminds God of his promises. 1:8
1) Just as God predicted exile, he also promises a great
return to their land.
2) Verse 10 recalls the language of the Exodus.
a) Against huge odds, the Israelites won out over the
mighty Egyptians.
b) God's "mighty hand" did the trick.
1> Note the emphasis on "you" and "your" in these
sentences.
2> God's reputation is on the line.
c) Probably Nehemiah is hinting that God can do it again.
B. He asks God to give him success. 1:11
1) He has decided to approach his foreign king, Artaxerxes.
2) You have to start someplace.
a) On the face of it, Nehemiah isn't asking for much.
b) He is sort of asking God to be a "facilitator," to
make a connection happen.
c) When you understand the absolute power of these ancient
kings, you begin to appreciate his request.
3) It won't happen unless his heavenly King approves.
IV. God grants an opportunity.
A. The king notices Nehemiah's sadness.
1) He asks him, "What do you want?"
2) This is the opportunity Nehemiah asked God for.
B. Bible's fastest "quickie prayer." 2:4
1) Four months of prayer is supplemented by an instant one.
a) What he is really doing is seeking God's presence
at this critical moment.
2) In the next breath, Nehemiah makes his request. 2:5
a) He wants to go to Jerusalem.
b) He wants to rebuild the city.
1> No one can say this cupbearer doesn't think big!
C. The way God can answer prayer.
1) Nehemiah gets an instant and positive response.
2) He gets bureaucratic backup, too.
3) God's hand had to be behind it. 2:8
V. Everybody has some broken walls.
A. Cities are not the only things that have disasters.
1) Sometimes our crisis is self-inflicted.
a) We choose an ungodly lifestyle and reap the results.
b) We let our priorities and attitudes be shaped by
the world.
2) Other times the crisis seems to come out of the blue.
a) Sickness, financial problems, family issues.
b) We feel helpless because we didn't start it, and
maybe we can't solve it.
B. How are you going to handle it?
1) Like Nehemiah, shock and grief may be our first reactions.
2) But Nehemiah turned to God and expected a solution.
a) Focus on God's character.
b) Make an honest assessment of your sin.
c) Ask God to give you a solution.
C. Be ready to take advantage of divine opportunities.
1) Disasters can be turned into blessing.
2) What can "God's hand" do for you?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 574 "Nehemiah's Example, " by Dr. Robert Sumner, Biblical Evangelist
newspaper, January 1, 1989, page 3.
#4938 "Hemphill Urges Deeper Repentance For U.S. Depravity, Indifference,"
by Cory J. Hailey. Baptist Press (with Goshen.net)
http://www.baptistpress.org/; January 21, 1999. While not
directly quoted here, this article helped me with details on
Nehemiah's response to his situation.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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