Transcript Nehemiah, A Man of Concern

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Nehemiah, A Man
of Concern
Nehemiah 1
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Nehemiah
• Nehemiah came out of
Babylonian captivity
• He was concerned about
rebuilding the wall and about
restoring the people to their God
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• He was a man of prayer who
worked hard and stood against
those who opposed the work in
Jerusalem
• He led by example
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•I. Nehemiah’s
Sacrifice
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• We need to consider the great
sacrifice he made in doing the
work in Jerusalem
• He was a “cupbearer of the king”
(Neh. 2:1)
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• The cupbearer to the king filled
the wine cup and served the wine
to the king – could also include
one who tasted the wine before it
was given to the king
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• He gave up this position for the
work of rebuilding the wall in
Jerusalem which took more than
12 years of his life
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Phil. 2:5-8 (Sacrifice of Christ)
• 5 Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who,
being in the form of God, did not
consider it robbery to be equal
with God, 7 but made Himself of
no reputation, taking the form of
a bondservant,…
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• and coming in the likeness of
men. 8 And being found in
appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself and became
obedient to the point of death,
even the death of the cross.
Rom. 12:1-2 (We must live sacrificial
lives)
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• I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
unto God, which is your
reasonable service….
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• And be not conformed to this
world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that
ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will
of God.
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•II. Nehemiah’s
Sorrow
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1. He showed concern
• Neh. 1:1-2
• The words of Nehemiah the son of
Hachaliah. And it came to pass in
the month Chisleu, in the twentieth
year, as I was in Shushan the
palace,…
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• That Hanani, one of my brethren,
came, he and certain men of
Judah; and I asked them
concerning the Jews that had
escaped, which were left of the
captivity, and concerning
Jerusalem.
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• Nehemiah asked how the Jews were
doing in Jerusalem
• We need to ask:
• about others – about the church,
etc.
• How do we know what to pray for if
we never ask people?
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• We should not be afraid to ask
and those whom we are
concerned about should not be
offended by our asking
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Gen. 37:14
• And he said to him, Go, I pray
thee, see whether it be well with
thy brethren, and well with the
flocks; and bring me word again.
So he sent him out of the vale of
Hebron, and he came to
Shechem.
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2 Samuel 18:29
• And the king said, Is the young
man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz
answered, When Joab sent the
king's servant, and me thy
servant, I saw a great tumult, but
I knew not what it was.
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Esther 2:11
• And Mordecai walked every day
before the court of the women's
house, to know how Esther did,
and what should become of her.
2. He could be touched – Neh. 1:4
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• And it came to pass, when I heard
these words, that I sat down and
wept, and mourned certain days,
and fasted, and prayed before the
God of heaven,
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3. He had determination – Neh. 1:11
• O Lord, I beseech thee, let now
thine ear be attentive to the prayer
of thy servant, and to the prayer of
thy servants, who desire to fear thy
name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy
servant this day, and grant him
mercy in the sight of this man. For I
was the king's cupbearer.
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•III. Nehemiah’s
prayer
(1:5-11)
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1. He is a man of prayer
• He prayed in times of sorrow
• He prayed when he was about to
undertake something very
important
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2. His prayer was earnest
• “certain days” – “fasted, and
prayed (1:4)
• “day and night” – (1:6)
• “I beseech thee” – (vs. 8,11)
• Beseech = to ask for earnestly
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3. Confessions of wrong (1:6-7)
• 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,…
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• and confess the sins of the
children of Israel, which we have
sinned against thee: both I and
my father's house have sinned…
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• We have dealt very corruptly
against thee, and have not kept
the commandments, nor the
statutes, nor the judgments,
which thou commandedst thy
servant Moses.
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4. His urgent requests
• (an appeal to the name of God)
• (1:5) And said, I beseech thee, O
LORD God of heaven, the great
and terrible God, that keepeth
covenant and mercy for them
that love him and observe his
commandments
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(an appeal to the promises of God)
• (1:8-9) Remember, I beseech thee,
the word that thou commandedst
thy servant Moses, saying, If ye
transgress, I will scatter you abroad
among the nations: But if ye turn
unto me, and keep my
commandments, and do them;
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• though there were of you cast
out unto the uttermost part of
the heaven, yet will I gather them
from thence, and will bring them
unto the place that I have chosen
to set my name there.
(An appeal to their relationship with
God)
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• (1:6) 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,…
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• and confess the sins of the
children of Israel, which we have
sinned against thee: both I and
my father's house have sinned.
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• (1:11) Now these are thy servants
and thy people, whom thou hast
redeemed by thy great power,
and by thy strong hand.
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Conclusion
• Nehemiah was a man of:
• Sacrifice
• Sorrow and concern
• Prayer
• Let us follow his good example
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References
• Adapted from outline by Tom Moore