Forward Thinking (Nehemiah 2:1-10) Introduction There are some things that you can get a pass on. Some easily recognized examples would be (1) doing the dishes, (2) an aunt s bad casserole, and (3) taxes. When it comes time to do the dishes you could say that you have exams and papers due in the morning. Some parents, if you have not established a pattern of using school work to get out of domestic duties, will sympathize and temporarily relieve you of chores. But where we can certainly appreciate a temporary pass on domestic duties or the obligation to eat something bad, we must acknowledge this truth: there are some things for which there is no pass. Among the things that you will not get out of in this life are seasons of heart sorrow. All of us, regardless of our educational achievements, irrespective of our influence, notwithstanding our attainment of affluence, and despite of how serious we are about following Jesus all of us will experience seasons of heart sorrow. (Indeed, an aged and persecuted apostle says that the believer is guaranteed to experience these 2 Timothy 3:12.) Every person that lives for any appreciable amount of time will have periods of pain and disappointment that go deeper than a skinned knee or the frustration of watching turnovers and interceptions. I am referring to times when the hurt cannot be fixed with minor medical attention or a string of wins by our favorite team. Heart sorrow comes when there is loss or failure in things we care deeply about; we care so much that our heart is literally in the matter. Examples that come to my mind are things like being betrayed by a spouse, losing a job, receiving a report of cancer or some other debilitating illness, being rejected by a parent, disrespect from a close friend, losing someone we really love, or receiving terrible news about our people and country (Nehemiah 1:1-4). The last case, bad news about your people and home or homeland, is how the book of Nehemiah opens. So devastating is the update about his people and the land of his heritage that the man cannot stand. That is, he is hit so hard by the weight of the words that he is reduced to sitting on the ground and weeping (Nehemiah 1:4). 1 But God will use this broken vessel to rebuild the city and restore worship. If we continue reading his memoir he will share with us a powerful message of comfort, of hope, and of help for people that are in the cut. Nehemiah says that there is a tremendous upside for those who will be forward thinking when things are falling apart. The Seriousness of Heart Sorrow (Nehemiah 2:1-3) 1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. 2 Therefore the king said to me, Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart. So I became dreadfully afraid, 3 and said to the king, May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire? The first time marker in the narrative was Nehemiah 1:1. It was in the month of Chislev that the servant to King Artaxerxes received news from his brothers about the poor state of affairs with the people of God and 1 After reading it a few times I found myself moved to tears. Page 1 of 6
the city of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:2-3). And it was in the opening of the book that we learned how hard the news hit the author. The report broke him. Lacking the strength to remain standing he sat down on the ground and wept (Nehemiah 1:4). And for many days he mourned and gave himself to praying and fasting. How long? Well, the next time marker that we see is in Nehemiah 2:1; the author writes that he was taking wine and giving it to the king in the month of Nisan. Chislev (Nehemiah 1:4) would have been around our November- December. Nisan (Nehemiah 2:1) would have been roughly our April. About three and one half months have passed since the news was received and Nehemiah started fasting and crying out to God about the situation with the Jews in Palestine and the city of Jerusalem. In chapter 1 the king s cup bearer prays this way: Regard my Prayer (Nehemiah 1:5-6,11) Remember your Promise (Nehemiah 1:8-10) Release Prosperity (Nehemiah 1:11) 2 And what happened during all the time that he was sad and crying out to God? Nothing! Nothing happened for over a quarter of a year. Can you believe that? And after all this time the inner grief has begun to take its toll on Nehemiah. So deep and profound are his blues that for the first time in his service as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes personal sorrow has leaked out of his personal life and become visible in his professional life. This is unprecedented! Sorrow? No. He had been sad before (Nehemiah 2:1-2). But Nehemiah had never been so sad that he could not get himself together by the time he got to work. His personal sadness was never evident on the job: Now I had never been sad in his presence before. This time it is different because his melancholy disposition is a matter of his heart. You see his heart beats for the glory of his God and the good of God s people. He cannot shake the sorrow any more than he can merely shake off the danger the people face or the destruction that has befallen Jerusalem. Instead the sorrow is shaking him and literally changing his visage. And now King Artaxerxes has noticed. The therefore of verse 2 show us that the question of the king, based on the dark disposition of Nehemiah, is logical. In light of the downcast look the monarch ask, Why is your face sad? And before Nehemiah can answer the king asserts, since you are not sick? Further, the king goes on to say that he sees the face sadness as being the outworking of heart sorrow. Some leaders, even the ungodly ones, are very perceptive. So Nehemiah became dreadfully afraid. Why? Consider the situation: A cupbearer, who is actually a foreign captive, is visibly unhappy with life in your service. If you were Artaxerxes, having to deal with threats of coups and assassination attempts, would you feel comfortable with this man in your court? Your life depends upon his faithfulness in protecting you from being poisoned. Would you feel comfortable? Of course not! And allowing this to continue is nothing short of fostering sedition and promoting your own demise. Whether you 2 The end of chapter one contains the first indicator that, although he is a captive serving a pagan king, Nehemiah sees his plight not as the problem but as part of the solution. He prays, let Your servant prosper this day. I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. In this closing is the clearest indicator that he views his position not as a problem but as a possibility. He sees his obligations not as obstacles but as opportunities. Perhaps by mercy he only meant the permission to leave and help with a rebuilding effort. However, it is more likely that he recognizes the potential he has for influence with someone who has affluence. It is more likely that, in the spirit of Mordecai, he knows that Providence has placed him so as to promote the welfare of God s people. This latter view makes the most sense in the light of his own exposition of his own prayer: For I was the king s cupbearer. (Nehemiah 1:11). Page 2 of 6
like Nehemiah or not, unless there is a good and non-threatening reason for his sadness, he will have to die. And the cupbearer knows that this is how the thinking of the monarch goes. That is why he is afraid. Heart sorrow, my friend, is serious business. And studies show that as we age sorrow becomes more serious. The Seriousness of Heart Sorrow Potentially Final (Proverbs 18:14) The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit? The spirit is key to vitality. If the body becomes sick it can be sustained through the illness by a healthy spirit. But if the spirit breaks we are powerless to fix it. The writer of this proverb asks a rhetorical question with the aim of causing his reader to consider that a broken spirit can be the end of the matter. Of course with God all things are possible. Potentially Fatal (Proverbs 17:22) A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. The broken spirit is not independent of the body. It will eventually draw the vitality out the body and cause a person to fall into sickness. Potentially Does Good (Ecclesiastes 7:3) Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better. But where heart sorrow can be the end of life it can also be the beginning of life and good changes. Nothing is as potent as heart sorrow for purging the heart of being perfidious, of pernicious intentions, and of a propensity toward immorality. Potential is a Function of Faith (2 Corinthians 7:9-11) 9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Whether sorrow becomes a destructive depression or a reviving repentance has everything to do with what we believe. Sorrow in and of itself is neither good nor bad. Sorrow of heart is transformed by unbelief or faith. Unbelief turns sorrow into bitterness and is self destructive. E.g., the sorrow of Judas led to his own death. Faith transforms sorrow into betterness. E.g., the sorrow of Peter led to a repentance of denying the Lord. Ungodly sorrow, or sorrow that does not face God will produce faithlessness and ultimately give birth to death. Godly sorrow, sadness that acknowledges the goodness and sovereignty of the Savior, leads to life. Nothing can be truly good until it is rightly related to God. 3 Sorrow without the Savior does not make sense and leads to death. Mourning without Messiah is meaningless and become morbid introspection. 3 Early examples of this are seen in Genesis. After each act of creation God deems the work good (Genesis 1:10, 18, 21). However, until the crown of creation was put in place the fullness of goodness could not be seen. When humanity, for whom the things were created, had been put it place it could be called very good (Genesis 1:31). The totality is considered very good. What makes day six different from day three? The very is not appropriate until there is the possibility of fulfillment of purpose. Even so, things like sex, sorrow, and even hate are good only insofar as they are oriented properly with the will of God. Page 3 of 6
The Blessedness of Brokenness Brings Us into a Presence that Saves (Psalm 34:18) The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Brings to God a Sacrifice that Pleases (Psalm 51:17) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart These, O God, You will not despise. Brings Us into a Position for Revival (Isaiah 57:15) For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Brings Us into Position of High Regard (Isaiah 66:1-2) 1 Thus says the LORD: Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? 2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist, Says the LORD. But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. Brings us into a Prosperity (Matthew 5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The foundation, fire, and fuel of forward thinking is a faith that believes all things are working for both the glory of God and the good of those that belong to Him (Romans 5:1-5; 8:28; James 1:2). With this faith we learn to give thanks for even the thorn in our side. The Content and Consequence of a Good Mourning (Nehemiah 2:4-8) 4 Then the king said to me, What do you request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers tombs, that I may rebuild it. 6 Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), How long will your journey be? And when will you return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. 7 Furthermore I said to the king, If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy. And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me. Forward Thinkers are opportunists; they try to use everything for the glory of God and the good of others. Where many would present themselves as being pioneers and forward thinkers the real test is in what they do with setbacks. Forward thinkers are readily recognized as being radically different when dealing with setbacks: they use them to spring forward. It is in the dialogue between this pagan king and his believing servant that we begin to see what has been really happening during the period of mourning: forward thinking Nehemiah has used the setback of a season of sorrow to get setup for success. The king s heart is in the hand of God. And during the cupbearer s season of sorrow God has been preparing two hearts for the day that God would bring forward His servant Nehemiah with a request. The king has been prepared to give. Nehemiah has been prepared to get. The prayer has been regarded (Nehemiah 1:5-6,11). The promises have been remembered (Nehemiah 1:8-10). And now the prosperity, for the glory of God and the good of His people, is being released (Nehemiah 1:11). How do we explain the generosity of Artarxerces? Lest we waste time in conjecture the author tells us: the grace of God. Page 4 of 6
The favor of God upon the cupbearer is manifest in monarch's good disposition toward him, toward his program, and toward his petition. The three and one half months were not wasted Nehemiah was prevailing with God and man. The Preparation of a Forward Thinker Nehemiah Has Used the Time to Pray (Nehemiah 1:4; 2:4 Raymond Brown) Indeed, based on Nehemiah 2:4, he prays without ceasing. Nehemiah Has Used the Time to Plan (Nehemiah 2:5-8, Quotes Raymond Brown and Chuck Swindoll) The responses of the cupbearer show that he has not wasted time in despondency. He has used the time to pray and to plan. Forward thinkers recognize the error of being either without prayer or without planning. The puerile pray without planning. The presumptuous plan without praying. When you cannot do all that you would God is satisfied when you do all that you can. Being Battle Ready (Nehemiah 2:9-10; John 15:27; Acts 4:13) 9 Then I went to the governors in the region beyond the River, and gave them the king s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel. Nehemiah was well-versed in the angst that surrounding peoples had toward the Jews. With insight on human nature and hindsight based on the troubles faced by Ezra, he requests the resources required to mitigate risks. What a project manager! And with an entourage of military authorities and armed men he visits potential adversaries to serve notice. The effect is expected and immediate: Nehemiah was disturbing the peace. Conclusion There are no passes when it comes to heart sorrow. It is not a matter of if just when. Forward thinkers seize their seasons of sorrow and use them to promote the will of God and the welfare of His people. Where everyone else is apt to focus on the problems, forward thinkers, looking through the lens of faith in God, see the possibilities. Where people are prone to fixate on the obstacles the forward thinkers see opportunities. In seasons of sadness, in being sidelined, in being set aside, in being shut down, in being shut out, in being shut in with sickness, in being shut up they shape up. Setbacks are used to spring forward. Your seasons of heart sorrow are coming. Maybe they are already upon you. What are you going to do? Take advice from Nehemiah: Use the time to be poor and broken before God. 4 Use the time to pray without ceasing. Use the time to plan. Jesus is not a concept for conversation. He is the risen Lord and leading his people in triumph. And he would have us to leave this place determined to seize and use our seasons of sorrow to make his kingdom come and to make his will be done. And it begins with something as simple as saying I believe that all things, especially 4 Without brokenness the praying and the planning are futile. (Luke 18:9-14) Page 5 of 6
this dark time, work together for good and that You would have me to use this season for Your glory and the good of the people around me. The following is from a Facebook post created 12 December 2012. Real Talk with Roderick The Critical Indicator (Nehemiah 2:4-5a) Where are you going with ministry? What if I told you that there are some clear indicators about how you will fare in serving God? It is true. Regardless of your ministry type, your personal temperament, or prior training your direction and distance in ministry are often predicted by your prayer life. In this one activity you are either laying foundation for repentance, revival, and reaching many or, by its neglect, proving yourself to be self-assured, self-reliant, and ultimately solo. Nehemiah's record of the restoration of Jerusalem is filled with prayer. It begins with his brokenness and beseeching God (Nehemiah 1:5-11): (1) Regard My Prayer, (2) Remember Your Promises, and (3) Release Prosperity. The story quickly moves into the work of God through this man to bring identity and dignity back to the Jews left around the razed city of Jerusalem. In the month of Chislev Nehemiah is told the harrowing truth about Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:1). In the month of Nissan he is asked by the king about his dour disposition (Nehemiah 2:1-2). In the three and one half months that have passed Nehemiah has had time to pray on the matter of Jerusalem's restoration and ponder on what was needed to rebuild the city. When the moment comes for him to answer... he prays again. Do not miss the points in the few words of Nehemiah 2:4-5. The Necessity of Prayer - In this crucial moment he turns quickly to the God of heaven in prayer. The message is simple: prayer is the indispensible part of his methods. Regarding the ministry of Jesus, another great builder, Luke says that he would not dare to do God's will apart from praying (Luke 5:12-16). Indeed, Jesus admonished men to always be in prayer (Luke 18:1). Nehemiah tells me to never become so hurried that I do not call on God for help. He and Jesus instructs me to make it the non-negotiable of working for God. The Nowness of Prayer - It is not always possible to get away to some remote place for prolonged praying. Look at Nehemiah. He prays right then in the moment. Jesus is often seen doing the same thing. Do not relegate prayer to formal retreats. Do it as often as you can. In fact, do it now! Where you will certainly need to retreat in order to request what is needed, stay in constant contact with God. Endeavor to pray without ceasing. The Naturalness of Prayer - While it is not said it is clearly seen that praying was natural for Nehemiah. He is so often in the activity that it colors the book that bears his name. But what we must notice here is that petitioning God is the natural response of this man to the pressures of life; that is the meaning of the "So" of verse four (Nehemiah 2:4). He says in effect, "As a result of the confrontation I turned to calling on God." See the cause and effect. The crisis is catalyst for crying out to the Lord for help... naturally so for him. Is this what you would do? The answer is a critical indicator about where your trust lies. The Nearness of the Person - What did he say to God? Very little and yet volumes. Out of intimacy comes the ability to communicate with or without words. The Spirit of God prays with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:15, 26). When you are close to God even your sighing becomes a form of supplication. Where are you going with ministry? Your prayer life is the critical indicator. It is the index to everything. Make much of spending time with God in prayer. In His grip by His grace, Roderick MakingChanges Barnes Page 6 of 6