30 Days in the Bible, Day 24: Nehemiah 8:1-3

Studying the Word of God on your own is an important discipline. We can open the Word whenever we want to, and spend as much time as we can reading, meditating, and studying. (This is, of course, not true for all Christians, and we need to pray for our brothers and sisters who do not have free access to the Bible.) There is no substitute for time spent listening to the Holy Spirit speak to us through the inspired Word.

For many Christians, personal study is their chief focus. They don’t want to spend time listening to others preach or teach the Word. Perhaps they believe that as long as they have the Spirit, they can learn everything they need to know on their own. While there is some truth to this, it misses a much bigger point.

When we look through Scripture to find how the Holy Spirit guides us into truth, we find an interesting fact: He does this partly by giving us pastors and teachers that He has gifted to build us up. We saw this when we looked at Ephesians 4. If we do not take advantage of times when we can study the Bible together under the instruction of a Spirit-gifted teacher, we are missing part of what He wants to teach us.

Here in Nehemiah we see Ezra, who in Jewish thought is considered the greatest teacher of the Law, bringing in help from other gifted Levites to explain to the people the meaning of the Law. The Israelites gathered for hours to hear the Law read and taught. They understood that this was all part of their worship, and that what they were hearing through these teachers was God speaking to them through His Word.

We have many opportunities to find good teachers and to study the Word under their leadership. A godly, Spirit-led teacher can help us to see truths we may have missed on our own. Pastors and teachers who have spent time studying the history, culture, and languages of Biblical times can help us bridge the gap between those times and ours. They can also help us to avoid drawing erroneous conclusions from the Bible by helping us place its teachings in context and in their place in the whole of Biblical truth.

Studying in groups should not replace personal study, but be added to it. We do need to learn to search the Scriptures on our own, but we also need to be guided (and to guide) others as we search together. If you are not currently involved in a Bible study led by a solid, Spirit-led teacher, I encourage you to find one and start adding the benefits of studying together to your spiritual journey.

Sunday sermon: "When Opposition Arises"

Many teachers have become popular by proclaiming that God wants every Christian to have success in life, with good health, material prosperity, and no conflict. That kind of teaching appeals to our fallen human nature with its self-centeredness, but it isn't consistent with what the Bible teaches. Jesus never promised us a life without opposition; in fact, He promises exactly the opposite. So how do we handle the inevitable opposition we will face in this life?

Nehemiah and the Israelites faced opposition in their task of building the wall of Jerusalem. What began with the provision of God and the enthusiasm of the people was seen by their enemies as a cause for fury. We read about the escalating opposition in chapter 4. The enemies of the Jews began by mocking them and their work. They essentially said the Israelites were wasting their time, that their work would prove to be worthless. Nehemiah handled this opposition by praying that the Lord would hear and deal with the insults, then the people simply ignored what their enemies said and kept on working.

This led their opponents to a stronger response. They met together and plotted to disrupt the work. This was more serious, and led to Nehemiah posting guards to watch for signs of trouble. The people would not be stopped from focusing on the work God had given them.

Israel's enemies then stepped up their opposition once again. Word came back to Nehemiah that the Jews would be under attack from their enemies. Their lives were in danger. This was a real threat, and required a serious response. So Nehemiah and the leaders of Israel took measures to watch for danger, planned for the protection of the people, and then kept right on working. While the need to guard against threats may have slowed the work somewhat, the response of the leaders and the people was to work even harder to finish the walls.

In our lives today we will face opposition. It may be simple mockery, belittling our faith and wondering how we could imagine such a thing to be true in our modern times. It may be distraction, seeking to divert our attention from what is important to what those around us consider important, in the process shuffling our faith off to one side. It may be actual threats against us, not necessarily against our lives but against our careers, our families, or our relationships. The world is not aligned with Jesus, and those who follow the ways of the world will seek to detach us from our connection with Him.

How do we handle this? The same way Nehemiah and the Israelites did. We first pray, seeking God's guidance and protection. Then we guard ourselves against whatever might challenge us, preparing to face the challenges in the strength of the God who has the power to guide us through our trials. Finally, we keep doing what He has called us to do, even as we prepare ourselves for whatever may come against us.

Jesus told us we would have tribulation in this world, but that He has overcome the world. (John 16:33) We do not have a Savior who is free from suffering Himself, but one who has suffered and died on our behalf. We can trust Him not only because of His power, but because He understands the tribulations of human life. As we rely on Him, we can stand against our opposition, and remain faithful even in times of trouble.

Sunday sermon: "When God Calls, God Provides"

Often when we seek the Lord's direction for our ministry or service, we seem to hit a wall. Perhaps God isn't answering our prayers the way we expect, or maybe an opportunity hasn't arisen to move ahead. IF you are like me, you may become impatient and plead for God to just get moving. Frustration may set in, and we wonder if we've misunderstood what we are supposed to do.

Yet God is never silent without reason. We see in Nehemiah 2 that Nehemiah did not have an opportunity to speak to the king about his desire to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem for almost four months. I'm sure he kept praying, but to a man as active and gifted as Nehemiah that four months may have felt like an eternity.

Nehemiah understood, though, that God works in His own time. The Lord did not decide that Jerusalem should remain in ruins, or change His mind about Nehemiah leading the project. It simply wasn't yet the time for the work to begin. We are not given a reason in the Bible why this was so. All we know is that Nehemiah exercised patience until the Lord opened the door for him.

When his opportunity came, Nehemiah did not hesitate. He prayed (his natural first response), then made his request to the king. It was carefully worded to avoid alarming the king, but it was also bold, asking for exactly what Nehemiah needed. When every element was in place, God gave him the opening to make his request.

The king responded favorably. Nehemiah was a trusted servant, so the king wanted to know how long he would be gone. He also agreed to provide the timbers needed for the work. In addition, Artaxerxes provided an armed guard for his cupbearer, something for which Nehemiah had not asked. The situation turned out to be as favorable as Nehemiah could expect.

As we seek our place of service, and seek the Lord's guidance for our ministry, we need to exhibit the same confidence and patience Nehemiah had. At the same time, we must be ready to move forward when the time is right and God opens the doors for us. When we trust the Lord and are willing to serve Him, He will provide what we need to successfully minister for Him.

Sunday sermon: "Taking Responsibility"

The Bible teaches us that all Christians are gifted by the Holy Spirit and called to serve the Lord. If this is true, why does it seem so many churches are not effective in their ministry? I believe that many Christians (and many churches) miss an important step in ministry: taking responsibility for using their gift for Christ's glory.

Our American culture does not seem to place much value on responsibility. We seek to deflect responsibility for our actions; witness the vast amounts of money spent on psychiatrists and psychologists, and the overwhelming number of lawsuits filed in this country. Each of these certainly has value in the right circumstances, but too often they are used to blame someone else for what has happened to us.

Nehemiah certainly faced the challenge of getting the people of Israel to take responsibility for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He had his own plan, developed in Susa from the report he was given, but he knew more effort would be needed to carry out the task than he alone could give. In Nehemiah 2:10-20 we see the steps he took to bring the people together to carry out this  mission.

He began by assessing the situation. Although he had heard the reports brought to him, Nehemiah wanted to see for himself the extent of the project. He quickly discovered there would be opposition, so even this step was done secretly. He inspected the walls, discovering that the damage was severe. With the information he gathered, he prepared to begin the job.

Calling the leaders and people together, Nehemiah presented the situation to them. His words are hard: "You see the trouble we are in." He later describes the situation as a "disgrace." The Israelites faced danger with their protective walls in ruins. Not only that, but by allowing this to continue they brought disgrace on themselves and on God. Nehemiah encouraged the people to take on this task by telling them what God had done for him and how the king had given his approval.

While churches in our culture are no generally at risk of destruction of their property (although that risk is real in many parts of the world, and is not entirely absent here), I think the the greater risk we have as God's people is that of disgracing the name of Jesus. When we refuse to use our gifts to honor the Lord, the world around us can look at us and say, "Their God must not matter much if they don't think it's worth their effort to serve Him." When we take up our responsibility, we cannot guarantee that the world will like or appreciate it, but we can be sure they will take notice.

The Israelites responded enthusiastically to Nehemiah's call to rebuild. Immediately their enemies sought to discourage them, but Nehemiah reminded everyone involved of one additional factor: God was in charge of this project. While Nehemiah had been called to lead and the people called to labor on this building project, it was ultimately God who would give them success. Nehemiah had faith that the Lord would see to it that they succeeded in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and bringing honor to his name.

As we work for the Lord, seeking to build up the church and expand the kingdom of Jesus Christ, we need to remember that it is God who is in charge. We are called to use the gifts He has given us to do the work of His kingdom, but our success is in His hands. As we serve the Lord faithfully, and take on the responsibility He has entrusted to us, I believe we will see the results that God wants for us, and that will be the success that we show the world to honor Jesus Christ.

Sunday sermon: "The First Response"

In Nehemiah 1:11, Nehemiah almost casually mentions that he was the "cupbearer to the king." Often our picture of a cupbearer is one of a lowly servant, forced into a job that could cost him his life, probably someone who was expendable to the court. A Persian cupbearer was anything but that. Nehemiah had to be an accomplished, talented, and highly trusted man to be made the cupbearer. In addition to literally having the king's life in his hands, he would also have been an advisor, part of the king's council. From a human standpoint, Nehemiah was everything our society admires: powerful, skilled, well-placed, and (as the rest of the book implies) wealthy.

Yet when faced with the shocking news from Judah that the walls were fallen and in disrepair, Nehemiah's first response was not to see what he could do about it. The news, which probably reflected a relatively recent event, struck Nehemiah deeply. He broke down and mourned for at least three months. During that time, he took what he felt was the most important step he could: he went to God in prayer.

This is the opposite of what we often do when faced with a problem. We do everything we can do, use all of our talent and skill, then, if we can't solve it, turn to prayer. Nehemiah realized that anything he could do would be meaningless if it was not first of all God's will.

Nehemiah's prayer is instructive in another way. As he faces a serious problem, we expect that his first cry would be for help from the Lord. Instead, he begins by exalting God. This is a significant emphasis; if Nehemiah is going to ask the Lord for His help, he recognizes that he needs to be asking a God who is capable of helping, one more powerful than Nehemiah, King Artaxerxes, or the opposition back in Palestine. God is greater than all, "awe-inspiring," and thus a worthy God to be petitioned.

Even then, Nehemiah doesn't jump right into his request. He laments and confesses the sin of himself and his people before God. Again this is a recognition of who God is by Nehemiah that leads toward his request. The reason that Judah is in crisis is their own sin. Nehemiah, though living in Persia and not of the generation that went into exile, includes himself in this confession of failure to keep God's covenant. He understands who he is in light of the greatness of God, and will not request God's help until he is sure that his relationship with the Lord is unhindered.

Finally Nehemiah prays for favor from God. Even now he does not ask for a great miracle to be done, but for favor in the eyes of the king. Nehemiah reaches the place where he can, after months of prayer, offer himself as part of the solution to the problem, under God's providential care. 

As we face the challenges and problems of our lives, what is our first response? If we have not yet learned that it is prayer, then we need to learn from what Nehemiah teaches us. I confess to often failing in this regard, and I know that I need to glorify God, confess my sin, build my relationship with Jesus, and then seek the Lord's will and His power to overcome the issues of life. If we all learn to do this, how much more can we accomplish for the kingdom of God by the grace of God?