The words of Nehemiah
the son of Hacaliah.
Now it happened in the
month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came
with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped,
who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in
the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall
of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
THE STUDY:
Today we are
going to look at the first section of Nehemiah which is found in Chapters 1-3.
We will break it down into 4 categories: The Report, The Request, The Review,
and The Repairs. The first category is found in 1:1-11.
What we see in Nehemiah 1:1-3 is
the report of the situation. Nehemiah is requesting information concerning Jerusalem
and his countrymen. Hanani was either a real brother, a kinsman, or a fellow
Jew. All are possible ways of understanding the text; however, the fact that he
called him “my brother” in 7:2 when he appointed him to a high office supports
the first meaning.
Why would Nehemiah inquire about a
struggling remnant of people who lived hundreds of miles away? After all, he
was the king’s cupbearer and he was successfuly secure in his own life.
Certainly it wasn’t his fault that his ancestors had sinned against the Lord
and brought judgment to the city of Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah. A
century and a half before, the Prophet Jeremiah had given this word from the
Lord: “Who will have pity on you, O
Jerusalem, or who will grieve for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?” (Jer. 15:5, ESV) Nehemiah
was the man God had chosen to do those very things![1]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
- We walk away with the understanding that Nehemiah along with many other biblical characters had one thing in common: They were moved by their heart! Nehemiah’s heart was moved for his people, Moses’ heart was moved for the Israelites, and God’s heart has always been moved for His children. Jesus is the example of God’s heart for us.
APPLICATION:
I have found over the years that some
people prefer not to know what’s
going on, because information might bring obligation. “What you don’t know
can’t hurt you,” says the old adage; but is it true? In a letter to a Mrs.
Foote, Mark Twain wrote, “All you need in this life is ignorance and
confidence; then success is sure.” But what we don’t know could hurt us a great deal! There are people in the cemetery who
chose not to know the truth. The slogan for the 1987 AIDS publicity campaign
was “Don’t die of ignorance”; and that slogan can be applied to many areas of
life besides health.[2]
How long is
too long before we ask about our brothers and sisters who our lost and hurting?
How long do we wait before we share the love of Christ with them? When was the
last time you, sincerely, asked your neighbor, co-worker, or a person you see in
Wal-Mart with tears in their eyes “How are you doing?” Today, Try it and see
how the Lord uses you to make a difference in that person’s life.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
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