Studies in NEHEMIAH. Lesson 2 - Nehemiah 2. Beginnings (Nehemiah prepares for the work)

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1 Studies in NEHEMIAH 1 Lesson 2 - Nehemiah 2 Beginnings (Nehemiah prepares for the work) Four months passed during which Nehemiah waited for God s time to approach the king, whoever believes will not act hastily. (Isaiah 28:16) Indeed, faith and patience go together (Hebrews 6:12). But Nehemiah had a plan in his mind, given to him by the Lord, and he knew just what to do when the right hour arrived, just as our Lord Jesus Christ (John 6:5-6). No one was to appear before the king with sadness or bad news (Esther 4:1-2), but the burden on Nehemiah s heart revealed itself on his face. He was a man of sorrows, and the king noticed it. Were it not for the providence of God, this sadness might have caused Nehemiah s death. Before taking his burden to Artaxerses, Nehemiah quickly went to the throne of Grace in prayer, then he told the king all his heart. He knew God would open the way (Proverbs 21:1). So thoroughly had Nehemiah worked out his plan that he was able to give the king a time schedule (vs. 6) and a list of materials he would need to do the task (vs. 7-8). God s strong hand (1:10) and good hand (2:8) did the impossible. Vs It took three months for Nehemiah to arrive at the city, and he arrived as a governor, not a servant. A man of patience, Nehemiah waited three days before taking any steps. The enemies were watching, and Nehemiah had to be wise and cautious. Later he would discover that some of the nobles of Judah were allied with Tobiah, the enemy of the Jews (6:17-19). By night, he investigated the situation, keeping his counsel to himself. He was awake when others were sleeping and concerned while others were at ease. He saw more about the situation at night than others could see in the light. Vs Nehemiah did not believe in a one man ministry, he challenged the leaders of the remnant to work with him (not for him) in repairing the walls. The motive? That we may no longer be a reproach. He was concerned with the glory of God as well as the good of the nation. Nehemiah showed them the need, outlined the task, and assured them of God s blessing. Immediately, the opposition was aroused (as it always is), but Nehemiah knew that God s hand was upon him and his work. Romans 8:31-32, In the face of all this, what is there left to say? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not grudge His own Son, but gave Him up for us all can we not trust such a God to give us, with Him, everything else that we can need? (Phillips translation). Remember to pray for God's guidance and direction as you study each day. Write out your own answers for each question; don't merely copy down a passage or rely on other resource books for your answers. Day One The wise man takes trouble to find out all he can; he holds himself in check, and does not allow his feelings and emotions or his enthusiasm to carry him away. Lord, I want the things that I am building to last forever, especially my relationships, so keep reminding me that I need to build them carefully, prayerfully, and honestly.

2 2 Read Nehemiah 2:1-3 and answer the following questions. 1. Four months of praying and seeking God may have been taking its toll on Nehemiah. What was his countenance before the king? 2. To be anything but joyful in the king's presence would often result in the death penalty, thus Nehemiah's fearfulness was understandable. Despite his feelings, he was confident. As we learned last time, what assurances did he (and we) have? Proverbs 21:1 Ecclesiastes 3:11 3. Artaxerxes labeled Nehemiah's problem as sorrow of the heart. The concept of the heart is crucial in the Bible, and refers to the totality of a person's inner nature, or our real self. A. What do the following verses tell us about man's heart? Jeremiah 17:9-10 Matthew 5:28 B. What is expected of our hearts as believers? Proverbs 3:5, 4:23 Matthew 22:37-40 Scripture Memory: This week's memory verse is Nehemiah 2:20. Repeat it several times each day, and you should know it by memory by the end of the week. Then I answered them, and said unto them, the God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build. Nehemiah 2:20 Day Two If you feel anything in the presence of God save an utter poverty of spirit, it ultimately means that you have never faced Him. Lord, help me to recognize the poverty of my spirit so that I might inherit Your kingdom.

3 3 Read Nehemiah 2:4-8 and answer the following questions. 1. Nehemiah was probably quite relieved by the king's concerned response (vs. 4). Yet before answering, what did Nehemiah do? 2. The secret of success in any endeavor is our bathing it in prayer. What can you learn from the examples of these prayer warriors? David, Psalm 5:3; Psalm 119:147 Anna, Luke 2:36-38 Cornelius, Acts 10: What else can we learn about God's hand at work in the circumstances of our lives from these passages? II Chronicles 30:12 Psalm 37:23-26 John 10:28-29 Scripture Memory: Insert the missing words/phrases below, by memory if possible. Review the verse several times today. Then I them, and said unto them, The of, he will us; therefore we his servants will and build. Nehemiah 2:20

4 4 Day Three Why do people tend to become cynical as the get older? Why does the noble outlook upon life tend to go? It is because we all become victims of treasures on earth. Lord, earthly things are so easy to accumulate that it s difficult to control the urge to acquire them. Help me to rise above the desire for the things of this world and to see the incomparable value of the things of the world to come. Read Nehemiah 2:9-16 and answer the following questions. 1. Who accompanied Nehemiah, helping to further legitimize his mission (vs. 9)? 2. Given Nehemiah's burden, we'd expect him to get right to work. What did he instead do upon arrival (vs. 11)? 3. What did he do on the third day? (vs ) A. Why do you think he did it so secretly? 4. Why do you think he decided to concentrate on this facet of rebuilding Jerusalem rather than other areas first? Scripture Memory: Insert the missing words/phrases by memory if possible below. Review the passage several times today. Then I them, and said them, The of, he will us; therefore his will and. Nehemiah 2:20 Day Four No one can ever belong to this family and participate in its unity unless he believes that he has been bought into God s kingdom by the precious blood of Christ. Lord, these days there are lots of inconsequential issues that divide your children. Help us all to focus instead on the one thing that unites us: forgiveness.

5 5 Read Nehemiah 2:17-20 and answer the following questions. 1. Nehemiah now shares his burden and vision with the people. How did he describe the conditions he discovered (vs. 17)? 2. The condition of the walls and the people were closely intertwined. The Hebrew word for distress refers to a moral deficiency. Despite their condition, how did the people receive the challenge (vs.18)? 3. Through this challenge, Nehemiah called the people to revival. How did some of the prophets of his same general time period do the same? Jeremiah 6:16 Ezekiel 18:30-32 Hosea 6: Thus the people set their hands to the work, getting their hands ready for the "battle" ahead. How did that battle soon begin (vs. 19)? A. What kind of things did Sanballat, Tobiah, and Gershem do and say to try to discourage the work (vs. 19)? B. What courageous response did Nehemiah give to those trying to discredit their work (v. 20)? Scripture Memory: By now you should know the passage fairly well by memory. Try to write it out completely: Nehemiah 2:20

6 6 Day Five Whom do you serve? That is the question, and the answer is either God or mammon. Lord, caring for the things I own often keeps me from caring for my own soul. Help me to focus my attention on the things You want me to have so that I ll not be so consumed by the things I think I need. The Bad Guys Spotlight: Behind the Scenes Sanballat the Horonite: He was the ring-leader of opposition to the work. He may have actually worshipped God, as the names of his two sons are praised to Yahweh (Jehovah). Some historical sources mention him as the governor of Samaria, so his opposition politically was that they would no longer have control over Judea from the north. Tobiah the Ammonite Official/Servant: He probably governed the area on the western part of Judea, and was either a subordinate to or in close collaboration with Sanballat. Gershem the Arab: He was probably ruling a league of Arab tribes controlling Edom and Moab, east and south of Judea. 1. Nehemiah and the builders were surrounded by opposition on all sides. How does Ezekiel 38:18-23 prophesy about future Israel being surrounded by opposition with no visible way out? What will the result be? 2. We too may have tremendous assurance that, no matter what opposition we may face, God will stand for us. What are three of these wonderful promises? Are any conditions mentioned for our part in any of these? Matthew 28:18-20 Romans 8:37-39 Hebrews 13:5-6 Daniel's Seventy Weeks Daniel 9:24-27 tells of the last 70 weeks (70 groups of seven years each) that God would complete His work with the nation of Israel.

7 7 1. What would mark the beginning of these time periods (Daniel 9:25)? How does this tie in with Nehemiah? 2. How does Luke 19:40-42 describe the fulfillment of the first 69 weeks prophesied in Daniel 9:26? 3. What is the 70th week (Daniel 26-27) mentioned that God will work with His people once again? Also refer to Matthew 24:4-35 if you need more background information. From the day of Artaxerxes' decree for Nehemiah to begin his work, which has been dated March 5, 444 B.C., to when Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly on March 30, 33 A.D., exactly 69 of these "weeks" (483 years, or 173, 880 days in the Babylonian calendar) were fulfilled to the very day. When the burden to rebuild was given to Nehemiah, he probably had no idea of the eternal significance of his obedience. The same was probably true of Ruth when she married Boaz, later to become an ancestor of Jesus Christ, or Esther becoming a "beauty queen" and ultimately saving Israel from total destruction. These people would have missed out on tremendous blessings that God could have allowed someone else to have if they weren't obedient. It is so important for us to be faithful in the "little things" daily coming our way, for they may be much more significant from the eternal perspective! Scripture Memory: Write out this week's verse by memory, and review it several times today: Nehemiah 2:20 Day Six If God were unkind enough to answer some of our prayers at once, and in our way, we should be very impoverished Christians. Lord, thank You that You know better than I do what is best for me. Keep me from taking matters into my own hands when You don t answer my prayers according to my plan and timetable. Practical Applications 1. In many ways, Nehemiah serves as a great example for us as employees. Did you notice anything in his character that would make you a better employee, or more likely to be hired for a position? 2. One of Nehemiah's greatest strengths was that he carefully balanced human factors and planning with dependency on divine influence. Would you classify yourself as one who takes efforts into your own hands without spending as much time in prayer as you should, or the other extreme of wanting to seek God's will and pray, but not stepping out in faith and plan ahead? How can you better begin to balance

8 out your life? 8 3. The only hope for Israel to continue on as a people at that time was revival. Today, we see our own nation crumbling from the inside out. God wants to bring change, but expects the changes to begin as He works revival in His own people, who then in turn can affect others. Read II Chronicles 7:14 and answer these questions: A. In what areas do I need to humble myself? B. How earnestly am I seeking Him in prayer for change in my life and my country? When can set aside time each day for such prayer? C. Are there any wicked ways that are still binding me up that I need to turn from? How can I begin to see change in my life? Weekly Challenge (Optional) The only way to effectively pray, plan, and serve, is with a renewed mind (Romans 12:2). One way we can see our minds renewed is to program them for righteousness by actively focusing our minds on Scripture and other things worth filling our minds with. Based on Philippians 4:8, make a Think List on a piece of paper, and spend some time daily meditating on those things, especially when you are tempted or struggling. Share the results with your group if you wish. There is one kind of person for whom God can do nothing; it is the person who is absolutely satisfied with what he is at this moment in the sight of God. Alan Redpath, Victorious Christian Service

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