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 still
looking at the first section of Nehemiah which is found in Chapters 1-3, specifically,
the first category found in 1:1-11.
We find that in Nehemiah 1:1-3 the
report of the situation. We read how Nehemiah is requesting information
concerning Jerusalem and his countrymen. Why? Because he has a caring heart! Today,
we will look at what Nehemiah learned in regard to Jerusalem and the Jews!
Three words summarize the bad news: remnant, ruin, and reproach. Instead of a
land inhabited by a great nation, only a remnant of people lived there; and
they were in great affliction and struggling to survive. Instead of a
magnificent city, Jerusalem was in ruins; and where there had once been great glory,
there was now nothing but great reproach.
When we truly care about people, we
want the facts, no matter how painful they may be. American historian Henry
Adams said, “Practical politics consists in ignoring facts.” Aldous Huxley adds
to the point by saying, “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”
Closing our eyes and ears to the truth could be the first step toward tragedy
for ourselves as well as for others.[1]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
- We walk away this morning with the understanding that no matter how disheartening the news may be, a person with a caring heart desires to know the facts.
APPLICATION:
I am reminded of a story John
Maxwell shared about a friend who was in the hospital and just found out he had
cancer. His heart was heavy and his eyes filled with fear but John said a
prayer that could have been considered inappropriate at the time. He prayed,
“Lord, thank you for revealing this cancer to my friend so that now we know the
illness and we can plan a course of action to defeat it. Amen.” This man may
not have liked the news he just received but he would have wanted to know it
now than later. Nehemiah was the same way. He wanted to know, as soon as
possible, the information concerning his country and countrymen.
Are we like Nehemiah, anxious to
know the truth about, even, the worst situations? Is our interest regarding the
situation born out of concern or idle curiosity? When we read missionary prayer
letters, the news in religious periodicals, or even our church’s ministry
reports, do we want the facts, and do the facts burden us? Are we the kind of
people who care enough to ask?[2]
Today, I believe God wants to
reveal truth; either to us or through us. Let’s not close our eyes or resist
God’s leading. Tragedy may be the result.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
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