We are uncomfortable in our circles with the term “revival.” It seems so contrived. We pass by church signs that advertise: “Revival meeting every Friday night” and we can’t help but be skeptical. Only the Holy Spirit can accomplish revival. But God still is in the business of reviving and rebuilding. We don’t want to become jaded or hard-hearted.
Neh. 1:3 Two Main Problems: 2 main sections of the book
1) God’s Work Needs Revival / Rebuilding (chaps. 1-7)
“and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”
2) God’s People Need Revival / Rebuilding (chaps. 8-13)
“The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and
reproach”
Name “Nehemiah” = Yahweh Consoles or Comforts
I. BACKGROUND / CHALLENGES:
A. Timeline of Events
722 BC – Assyrians deported the 10 northern tribes of Israel (2 Kings 17) – due to idolatry and failure to observe God’s regulations for worship; failure to repent when confronted by various prophets and warned of coming judgment
605 BC – Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and carried many people into captivity; fall of the monarchy; Jewish nation no longer politically viable – 70 year period of captivity; judgment against Judah (southern tribes) – what a threat and reproach to God’s program
World power shifted from the Babylonians to the Persians
539 BC – edict of Cyrus to allow Jews to return to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem – book of Ezra (2 Chron. 36:22-23)
- Zerubbabel and Joshua led the first return (Ezra 1-6); temple was rebuilt (Haggai and Zech as prophets)
- Ezra led second return in 458 BC (Ezra 7-10) to enforce the law of Moses
- Nehemiah led the third return 445 BC to rebuild the walls of the city
- first term as governor of Jerusalem (chaps. 1-12)
- second term as governor (chap. 13) – 424 BC
Gap of almost 20 years between chap. 12 and chap. 13
Book probably written by Ezra – draws upon many of the eyewitness accounts of Nehemiah (personal diaries, etc.); two books closely linked together – in fact book was labeled “Second Ezra” in the Septuagint and Latin Vulgate compilations
Nehemiah and Malachi represent the final two books of OT revelation before God spoke again at the time of John the Baptist – 400 years of silence
B. Challenges and Obstacles
- Required courage to be willing to come back and be part of the rebuilding team – remnant living in Babylon were actually safer and more comfortable; taking on large responsibility
- Difficult to be part of a small remnant (50,000 came back — Ezra 2:64); comparison with former days when the temple was more impressive; God’s work does not seem to be very impressive at this point in time
- At various periods complacency replaced the sense of urgency and the rebuilding of the temple under Ezra took a back seat; Haggai 1:1-15
- All types of opposition from various enemies – both internal and external – compromising alliances; false accusations; trying to make it look like the Jews were insurrectionists who would then cause trouble for the king of Persia
- Financial hardships; issues of security; temporal values
II. OUTCOME OF SUCCESS:
This is an encouraging book because the people of God enjoyed such great success.
1. Success in the Project Itself
6:15 — “So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.”
12:27 Dedication of the Rebuilt Walls with great celebration
“Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres.”
2. Success in the Proclamation and Application of the Word of God to the Lives of the People
8:3 “all the people were attentive to the book of the law”
8:12 “All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them.”
Kidner: Scripture is seen, then, in these two books as law to be obeyed and as revelation to be understood; to which we should add: as promises and warnings to evoke prayer and action.
3. Success in the Promotion of God’s Overall Program for the Age
10:28-29 Renewal of the Special Covenant Relationship with all of its detailed provisions
“taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law, which was given through Moses, God’s servant, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of God our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes”
- Continuity with God’s Covenant people from the days of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
- Separation from the idolatry of the people around them; religious purity
4. Success because of the Pattern of Spiritual Leadership Demonstrated
13:31 Nehemiah at the end of the day wants some recognition from the Lord
“Remember me, O my God, for good”
5. Success Because of the Good Hand of the Lord Sovereignly at Work (1:10; 2:8,18)
Divine Vision — 2:12 “what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem”
Divine Execution — 2:20 “The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build”
III. FIVE THREADS RUNNING THROUGH THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH:
1. GOD’S LEADERS — INSIGHTS INTO SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP – FEEL THE BURDEN AND STAY ON TASK
Nice transition from the two part series we just concluded on the type of local church leadership that God commends; Nehemiah was a strong leader – many admirable traits that we can follow;
Throughout he combined aggressive faith with practical responsibility
4:9 “We prayed . . . and set a guard against them day and night”
4:14 “Remember the Lord . . . and fight”
Cromwell: Trust in God and keep your powder dry
A man of vision, a man of prayer, a man of faith, a man of courage, a man of action, a man who could motivate and manage others
2. GOD’S TROOPS –IMPERATIVE OF ALL HANDS ON DECK – FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL MINISTRY
Lessons of Ephesians 4 and 1 Cor. 12-14 regarding the importance of the entire body of Christ; spiritual gifts must be exercised
3. GOD’S WORK – ISOLATE WHAT IS TOP PRIORITY FOR GOD’S KINGDOM PROGRAM – FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND
Many distractions; many other things could consume our time and ambition; easy to settle for something that is good rather than for God’s best
4. GOD’S WORD – IMPERATIVE OF REPENTANCE AND RENEWED OBEDIENCE – FLEE SIN AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS – FAITH IN THE LORD IS THE KEY
We are living thousands of years later – and still the key to a successful life is the same – Trust and Obey, for there is no other way … that’s it
5. GOD’S ENEMIES (STRONG OPPOSITION) – INSIGHTS INTO SATAN’S TACTICS TO DISCOURAGE AND DISTRACT – FIGHT OFF ALL THE THREATS (BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL)
If you are attempting something significant for God … something that is high priority for His program for that point in time – you should expect strong opposition from the enemy.
Redpath: Victorious Christian Service
There is no type of service any of us can undertake which is beset with so much potential as is the service of the Master. On the one hand, there is so much that is rewarding, and on the other hand, so much that is disappointing. Many are the obstacles to be overcome and many the pitfalls to be avoided. On how many occasions we have taken up a task in the name of the Lord only to withdraw, beaten, discouraged, and baffled, and yet, somehow, baffled to fight better. For every discouragement has been allowed to come to us in order that through it we may be cast in utter helplessness at the Saviour’s feet. Then we return to the battle again, no longer trusting in the false and insufficient human resources which so foolishly we had taken into the battle, but now trusting in the limitless resources of our risen Lord.
Baxter: Nehemiah is a gem of a book in the spiritual lessons which it teaches us. It tells how, under the new leadership of Nehemiah, the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt by the returned Remnant, and how the people themselves were reinstructed in the Law which God had given to their nation, long before, through Moses. This rebuilding of the city wall is like a graphic object-lesson illustrating those truths which lie at the heart of all true service for God; and he who will give heed to the lessons here vividly pictured will be a wise and successful builder in spiritual things.
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