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“Principles For Wall Builders” • 12.9.18
• Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
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The book of Nehemiah began in the King's palace with the sound of a negative
report about Jerusalem. Despite their being a large enough population, the city
lay in disrepair.
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Nehemiah, the King's cupbearer and a Jewish captive, is stunned at the news. He
prays for nearly 4 months that God might open a door for him to do something
about this situation.
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The Lord answers his request and the Persian King opens his heart to release
his man to the work that he has desired to do. We pick up the story where we
left off.
Text
• Nehemiah
2:9,10 : "Then I went to the governors in the region beyond the River, and
gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and
horsemen with me. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official
heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the
well-being of the children of Israel." :
Nehemiah's journey led him directly to the King's provincial governors on the
other side of the Euphrates river valley.
- He has come with the full authorization of
the King, as well as a complete military escort. This is where he meets these
two government officials, Sanballat and Tobiah.
- In 1907, a group of documents was discovered
in Jerusalem, called the "Elephantine Papyri." Within one of them,
Sanballat is named as the "Governor" of Samaria.
- Sanballat was a "Horonite," which was
linked him to the chief Moabite city of Horonaim. Tobiah is an Ammonite.
- For those that are unfamiliar with the Old
Testament, these two people groups are "sister" countries to Israel,
who maintained a tenuous relationship with their "cousins."
- Genesis
19 records their backstory, when a drunken Lot impregnated both of his own
daughters. One gave birth to the Father of the Moabites, the other, to the
Father of the Ammonites.
- Despite
their relationship to Israel, they were born out of the system of the world and
chose to worship the worst of the false gods available and were eventually
cursed by God for their actions.
• Deuteronomy 23:3,4 : "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not
enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his
descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever, because they did not
meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and
because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of
Mesopotamia, to curse you."
- During the
time of Israel's captivity, these neighboring and hostile nations gained a
foothold in the area. They are now high government officials with an agenda for
and eye on Jerusalem.
- When
Nehemiah's intent to do good in Jerusalem was discovered, it brought about an
immediate, negative reaction in that they were "deeply disturbed," a
word related to trembling.
- Sanballat and
Tobiah were shaking with anger. How could that be? Here was a man that had come
that was looking to do something good. That's not the problem.
- The problem
is not what he seeks to do but who he seeks to do it for! He was going to do
this for the well being of Israel!
- Their
irrational hatred of the Jews kept them from wanting anyone, much less a well
resourced envoy from the King, to seek the good for God's people. This made
them sick!
- It's
interesting that the enemy is always on the alert and knows when there is a
hint of change in the wind. He hates us and will begin to fight us in the realm
of our intentions.
- Their eyes
are now watching and Nehemiah is going to need to measure his steps. Verse 11.
• Nehemiah 2:11-16 : "So I came to Jerusalem and was there three
days. Then
I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had
put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except
the one on which I rode. And I went out by night through the Valley
Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem
which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire. Then I went on to
the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal
under me to pass. So I went up in the night by the valley,
and viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate,
and so returned. And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had
done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or
the others who did the work."
: Nehemiah's actual duties began after having been in Jerusalem for three days.
- Presumably,
there was a welcome and a time of rest from the journey and now he begins his
famous night tour. Remember that this isn't a modern city.
- Beside being
completely dark, it was quite dangerous! It's a good thing that he didn't tell
others. They might have discouraged him! Why didn't he tell anyone?
- Remember, the
Jews are in a very sensitive position and if word leaked out, Sanballat and
Tobiah would not have been far behind. He needed to gather an assessment of the
work alone.
- He details
his counter clockwise motion, moving from the western facing Valley Gate, to
the southern most "Refuse" or "Dung Gate."
- The reports
have now been personally confirmed and perhaps the half hadn't been told!
- The walls
were indeed crumbled in large heaps of rubble and the gates were barely hanging,
hardly recognizable charred remains. In some places, the rubble made passing
impossible!
- He now had a
first hand view of the size of the job, as well as the plan of attack. Far from
being dissuaded, Nehemiah is now ready to gather the troops.
- They don't
know what he is about to share with them, but he is ready to work. Verse 17.
•
Nehemiah 2:17,18 : "Then I said to them, 'You see the
distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned
with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer
be a reproach.' And
I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the
king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, 'Let us rise up and build.' Then they set
their hands to this good work." : Nehemiah
gathers the people together and states the obvious. I like the NASB's take on
verse 17. "You see the bad situation we are in!"
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No sugar coating. No more acceptance. This isn't good! They were living among
ruins and their lives were in continual danger for the lack of security.
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Spiritually, they were accepting a life that was far below the standards of the
promises that they had received from God!
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How could they live under such fear and insecurity from the outside, hostile
world? How could they ever be free to be properly sanctified by the Lord when
their identity could not be established?
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That gap between God's intention and our experience not only hinders God's work
in us, it hinders others from desiring to join in themselves!
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"They're Christians and that's the life they lead? No thanks!" Nehemiah
needed to shock them back into reality! "Let us build the wall of
Jerusalem that we may no longer be a reproach."
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It was time to do something about their situation, to put an end to the shame
and disgrace that they were living in!
- How long had it been
since anyone there had considered the same solution? I know it seems
incredible, but don't we see this more often than we'd like to admit?
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How many people are or have been living in the compromised rubble of
indecision? How many have accepted their lot and made the best of their
surroundings with no plan of spiritual action?
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Here, a man stands before them with a plan, the will and the resource to help
rebuild their life and to lift their hearts from the shame that has dogged them
for years!
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Even then, he still has to encourage them! He wasn't here by his own wisdom or
resource. He shares with them the story of God's help and His hand over him.
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Imagine their blessing as they hear of God's work that was occurring 900 miles
away, right in the very palace of Artaxerxes himself. God was working on their
behalf and the King agreed!
-
He looked at the captives and told them that the King had given him this
permission. They were in the clear to build! That's when they set their hands
to the work, but that signaled trouble.
•
Nehemiah 2:19,20 : "But when Sanballat the Horonite,
Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at
us and despised us, and said, 'What is this thing that you are doing? Will you
rebel against the king?' So I answered them, and said to them, 'The God of heaven Himself
will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have
no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.'" : The people were excited for the work. Their enemies were
immediately enticed to work against it! Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem were ready
to attack!
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We don't know anything about Geshem, though this is the first time that we see
the title "Arab" in scripture. What we do know is that he is the
third stooge in Sanballat and Tobiah's troop!
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They take up where the enemy always begins his attack "What are you trying
to accomplish?" The question is one that will often immediately combat our
resolve.
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"What do you really think you can do?" When everything is truly
considered, there isn't enough strength to bring change. Why would you even
try? Haven't you tried before?
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These are the words of a mocking enemy. Besides, the King wouldn't allow it! It's
unclear and we're not sure if they have or have not seen the King's decree.
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Perhaps, they believed that their official protests would soon reverse the
process.
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What we remember is that this kind of posturing had been successful before.
God's people had given in to these kind of threatenings in the past. This time
was going to be different!
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There was a man with the ear of the King who wasn't going to stand for their intimidation
for a single second! Forget about the King. The God of heaven Himself was on
the side of the Jews!
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He was going to give them success as they rose to their task! Nehemiah wasn't
going to allow the enemy to have a single inch!
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Israel's leader is clear that they will never have a legal claim over God's
land. Their days of unaccounted for access to Jerusalem are numbered! Chapter 3.
•
Nehemiah 3:1,2 : "Then Eliashib the high priest rose
up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it
and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and
consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho
built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built." : What does it take for spiritual progress to occur? How are we
meant to build? Chapter 3 provides
us with a wonderful illustration based upon a historical event.
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At this point, I'd ask you to refer to your handout, almost as much as you
would your Bible.
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When the Holy Spirit directs spiritual restorative action, there are five
principles here that leap off of the page. We won't read everything from
chapter 3, but please be scanning it
as we go along.
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Let us begin by noting that generally, nobody
works alone. There are exceptions in life and there is an exception
here among the groups that are listed.
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Sometimes, one begins alone with the resolve of Nehemiah that works against the
lies of the Enemy, saying, "God will prosper my way, I will rise and build
and you will have none of my heart!"
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On the whole though, God's plan for our spiritual restoration involves other
likeminded, similarly invested individuals, whose spiritual gifts complement
our own.
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This is why we are commanded not to forsake the assembling of ourselves
together in Hebrews 10:25 and why we
are to find our gifts and seek to use them. (Romans 12:6)
•
Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) : "He makes the whole body fit
together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other
parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."
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In this historical context, to work alone was to invite danger. With regard to
our spiritual life, to work alone is to invite the danger of never progressing
toward God's goal for your life.
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We need one another's encouragement and the benefit of other's experience as we
attempt to build up the parts of the wall that are broken down in our lives.
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Second, please note that nobody works
beyond what they are given. In these first two verses, we find a group
that has been assigned to a certain section, beginning at a specific place.
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That example is repeated throughout the rest of the chapter. There are groups
of people who are placed ostensibly by Nehemiah, but ultimately by the Lord
Almighty.
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In most cases, the people who were assigned to their territory had some vested
interest in that particular area. For example, the Sheep Gate was where the
sheep were led for sacrifice.
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It would follow then that a Priest would have the most vested interest in the
construction of that part of the wall. You can see a few more inferences
throughout the chapter.
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In verse 17, Hashabiah, a leader of
half the district of Keilah made "repairs for his district." Not to
be outdone, Henadad matched his effort in verse 18!
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In verse 30, Meshullam the son of
Berechiah made repairs in "front of his dwelling."
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Each group had their own section and nothing beyond! In the same way, God has
given you a specific territory or a specific "work" to work. Those
boundaries are sovereignly assigned.
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You never need to worry about what you are not called to work in! The Lord
calls you to be faithful where you have been placed! This brings me to our
third point for consideration.
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Nobody is unqualified to do the work.
As you scan over chapter 3, you'll
see Priests, Levites (v.17) and
Nethinim (v.26) putting their backs
to the work. These were religious specialists.
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There are also faithful foreigners that signed up. The Tekoites in verse 5 and 27, as well as Melatiah the Gibeonite, and his brethren, the men
of Gibeon, in verse 7.
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There are also goldsmiths and perfumers in verse 8 and 31, men with
delicate hands. There is even a politician, Hallohesh, who came to serve with
his daughters in verse 12, a family
affair.
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God's work requires every hand, skilled or not, to be put to the labor of
spiritual renovation. If you were living in Jerusalem at this time, it was
obvious that you were called to the work.
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Today, it is no different. God is calling each person, regardless of their
station in life, to put their hands to His cause right where they were!
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Regarding our fourth point, notice that nobody
is given more than they can handle. When you consult your map, you will
see visually the disparity of some pieces of territory.
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For example, the Dung or "Refuse Gate" is within a few feet of the
Fountain Gate. Compare that to the people that worked from the Old Gate to the
Valley Gate!
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Hannun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired a 1,000 cubits of wall in
addition to their repair of the Valley Gate!
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The Fountain Gate community had to deal with the Pool of Shelah, the King's
Stairs, the Ascent of the armory. There was infrastructure, as well as wall
repair that needed to be completed.
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In contrast, the Refuse or Dung Gate, the only SOLO assignment, contained a
single door to hang and secure in verse 14.
It might feel unfair, but God knows what we can handle!
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Moses could handle fighting two Kings at the end of his ministry. Joshua was
much better equipped to vanquish 31 in his time. (Joshua 12)
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Every group had the perfect amount of people and the grace to finish what had
been assigned. We will believe that the Lord will do the same for us in what He
calls us to.
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Finally, nobody's work is forgotten!
When you take the time to read through this later today, you will be acquainted
with the names of people who faithfully answered the call of God.
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You may not find yourself inspired to name a child after one of them, but they
mattered enough to the Holy Spirit to recall their labor for successive
generations.
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Some of them had glorious jobs that would safeguard the people of Israel for
generations to come. Others had humble Dung gate duty! None were insignificant!
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That remains true today: If an eternally existent God calls you to do anything,
you had better know that it's worth doing with all of your heart!
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Never be impressed or depressed by the size of what you are called to do. Be
impressed by the One who is calling you to do it!
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It sure is a positive note to know that the Lord never forgets when you have
been faithful to follow through, but know also that there is an equal warning.
Have a look at verse 5.
•
Nehemiah 3:5 : "Next to them the Tekoites made
repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their
Lord." : The Tekoite nobles, the rich and
wealthy, would not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord!
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Literally, the word "shoulders" refers to their necks. I might use
the phrase today that they would not stick their necks out for the sake of the
work of their Lord.
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It's not that they "could not." There will be seasons when you
"cannot" work for the Lord. You will be ill. You may be injured or
recovering from a surgery. This wasn't their issue.
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These people did not. They refused. They willingly abstained from the work. One
supposes that this would be acceptable if the work was merely the work that
other individuals demanded.
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This was the work of the Lord that they refused to stick their necks out for
and in a chapter that remembers those that did, the Lord makes sure that He
marks those that did not!
Conclusion
- As we close,
understand that God has spent an entire chapter of the Bible devoted to
teaching you and I how to close the gap between what He intends and how we are
living.
- I can't help
but see this, even in the handout that we hold. Does the illustration not look
like a foot? Is our path in life not counter-clockwise, as God radically
reverses the trend of sin?
- Certainly,
there is a gospel here. Note that Nehemiah begins where we do, at the Sheep
gate, by the very Door itself, Jesus Christ. Our life begins with His
sacrifice.
- By His grace,
we are called to be fishers of men, who continue our journey with Him through
the old paths of righteousness that He has laid out for us from time
immemorial.
- We will go
through humbling in the valley and the Lord will remove the garbage from our
lives, but His Spirit will flow like a fountain through us and His Word will be
our refreshment.
- Soon, we will
ride on horses behind our returning Lord Jesus, who will according to Zechariah
14:4, enter in by the East gate and judge the nations at the Main or
"inspection gate."
- Nehemiah's
record begins with the Sheep Gate and ends with the Sheep gate. We come in by
the blood of Jesus Christ and we come back as the very sheep of His pasture,
from faith to faith!
- The gates of
Jerusalem are the stages of our souls. Are you working? May it be so!
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