Following a Visionary Leader
May 11
NEH. 2:1 And it came to pass in the month Ni'san, in the
twentieth year of Ar-tax-erx'es the king, that wine was before him:
and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not
been beforetime sad in his presence.
2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad,
seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart.
Then I was very sore afraid,
3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not
my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers'
sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with
fire?
4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I
prayed to the God of heaven.
5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy
servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me
unto Ju'dah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may
build it.
6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For
how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it
pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters
be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey
me over till I come into Ju'dah;
8 And a letter unto A'saph the keeper of the king's forest, that he
may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which
appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the
house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to
the good hand of my God upon me.
11 So I came to Je-ru'sa-lem, and was there three days.
17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how
Je-ru'sa-lem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with
fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Je-ru'sa-lem, that we be
no more a reproach.
18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as
also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let
us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good
work.
TIME: 445 b.c. PLACES: Shushan; Jerusalem
Introduction
Just as there were three deportations of Judah into captivity, so
there were three returns. The first occurred under Zerubbabel and
Joshua in the year 538 B.C. The second took place under Ezra in the
year 458 b.c, and the third was under the leadership of Nehemiah in
445 b.c. Nehemiah was an official serving under King Artaxerxes. As
the king's cupbearer, he was highly trusted by the king. Nehemiah's
constant presence with the king would have allowed him to know many
of the administration's secret dealings, and it probably gave him
the opportunity to know some of the king's personal affairs. While
Nehemiah was faithfully carrying out his duties one day, his brother
Hanani stopped in for a visit. He had been to Judah and had come
back with a report on the conditions there. But the report was not a
good one. The people were suffering, the city walls were destroyed,
and the city gates were charred ruins.
LESSON OUTLINE
I. SORROW-Neh. 2:1-4
II. SOLUTION-Neh. 2:5-8
III. SOLICITATION-Neh. 2:11,17-18
SORROW
An observant king (Neh. 2:1-2). It was four months later, in
the month of Nisan, an interval that must have felt like an eternity
to Nehemiah. Nehemi-ah was carrying out his normal duties when the
king observed that he had a sad countenance that day. Since this was
unusual for Nehemiah, the king immediately inquired about it. He
knew that Nehemiah was not normally sad. At least part of Nehemiah's
duty as the king's cupbearer was to stand in his presence during
mealtime. "As an escort of the monarch at meals, the cupbearer had a
unique advantage to petition the king. Not only did the king owe him
his life since the cupbearer tested all the king's beverages for
possible poison, thus putting his own life at risk, but he also
became a close confidant" (MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible,
Word). Seeing Nehemiah's sadness was a simple observation on the
part of the king. When the king inquired about his sad countenance,
Nehemiah was immediately afraid. No one was allowed to reveal
sadness before the king. A helpful example of this can be found in
the book of Esther. "When Mordecai perceived all that was done,
Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went
out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter
cry; and came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into
the king's gate clothed with sackcloth" (4:1-2). We assume that to
appear sad in the presence of the king might have been a cause for
punishment. No doubt Nehemiah had not realized that his grief so
affected him that it showed on his countenance. After four months,
however, his concern had weighed heavily upon him and had now begun
to show outwardly. Notice that Nehemiah specifically stated, "Now I
had not been beforetime sad in his presence" (Neh. 2:1). Until now
he had maintained his composure and consistently presented a normal
countenance as he carried out his duties.
An inquiring king (Neh. 2:3-4). The conversation that
followed the king's initial inquiry indicates that Nehemiah, along
with his prayers, had been working on a plan. His fear was rightly
felt, but Nehemiah was a man who prayed consistently (cf. 1:4;
4:4,9; 5:19; 6:9,14; 13:14, 22, 29, 31). So his fear did not
paralyze him to the point of inertia. Instead, he was able to offer
the king an explanation of how he was feeling. Perhaps over the
months he had been rehearsing what he would say if ever given the
opportunity. Suddenly the opportunity was there. He was glad to
offer an explanation, because a sad countenance in the presence of
the king might indicate displeasure with the king. Nehemiah was not
at all unhappy with Artaxerxes. His unhappiness was a natural
response to the destruction of his homeland and its capital city,
Jerusalem. He described it as the place where his ancestors rested
in their tombs. This place that was so dear to his heart lay in
ruins with its gates in ashes. This would cause anyone sadness. It
may have been common for Persian monarchs to believe that simply
being in their presence would make a person happy. Nehemiah's plan
was to ask permission to return home and help with the sad
situation. He was about to ask for permission to leave the king's
presence and go somewhere else. This might well have been part of
the reason for his fear at this time. How would the king respond to
such a request? If it made him unhappy, he not only would refuse the
request but might also take action that would be threatening to
Nehemiah.
The king responded with a direct question: What would you like to
ask of me? The moment that Nehemiah had prayed and hoped for had
arrived. It came suddenly while he was simply carrying out his
normal duties. Even though he may have been thinking about this
moment for several months," he still recognized the importance of
God's leading in how he would answer. Before daring to respond,
therefore, he prayed. It could not have been a long prayer, because
the king was sitting there, looking right at him, waiting for an
answer. It is good to know that God hears our short, desperate
prayers just as easily as He does our longer ones. This reminds us
of Peter, who cried out, "Lord, save me" (Matt. 14:30) as he looked
at the boisterous waves. God is always there for us, and we should
never hesitate to call out to Him at any time of need. Psalm 46:1
tells us that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help
in trouble." Be sure to notice that He is your very present help. He
is not far away when we need Him but delights to give us the help we
need.
SOLUTION
A request to go (Neh. 2:5-6). It was important that Nehemiah
follow the proper etiquette for addressing the king, especially when
he was going to present the kind of request he had in mind. That is
why he began with" If it please the king, and if thy servant have
found favour in thy sight." He had prayed much, though, so he was
ready to present his actual request immediately. He spoke directly
to the heart of the need. He wanted to return to Judah and the city
of his fathers' tombs for the purpose of rebuilding it. It appears
that Nehemiah was being extremely cautious and diplomatic in his
request. He did not say the name of the city or mention that the
walls were down. He had referred to the gates earlier, but not the
walls. Artaxerxes Longimanus reigned from 464 to 423 b.c. This was
the king, therefore, to whom a letter had once been sent requesting
that the rebuilding of the city cease (Ezra 4:7-16). At that time he
had conducted a historical search and concluded that Jerusalem had
been a rebellious city and should not be rebuilt (cf. vs. 21). But
Artaxerxes was also the king who allowed Ezra to return with a group
of Jews for the purpose of reestablishing their worship in Judah
(cf. Ezra 7). At that time he allowed everyone who wanted to return
to go, and he wrote letters authorizing provisions of animals, grain
offerings, and drink offerings to be given to them by the local
authorities (cf. vs. 17). He was very generous in his provisions,
apparently out of some fear of God (cf. vss. 21 -23). Ezra
attributed all of this to the hand of God being upon him (cf. vs.
28). The king, in the presence of the queen, asked Nehemiah how long
he thought he would need to be gone and when he would return.
Mention of the queen's presence might indicate this was a private
meeting, since queens were not always in attendance at official
business times. Nehemiah had also thought this through, so he was
able to give the king a time frame. After that, the king agreed he
could go. Nehemiah 13:6 tells us that he returned in the king's
thirty-second year, which would mean he was gone for a total of
twelve years.
A request for protection and provision {Neh. 2:7-8). The four
months of waiting upon God had not been wasted time. Nehemiah had
thought through many details of how to carry out the plans he had
devised. He courageously continued with his request, asking for a
great deal of favor from the king. If he was going to have
everything he needed, this king was the one person on earth who was
able to provide it. His authority was extensive because of the
vastness of the Persian Empire. God's timing and provision is always
perfectly suited to His promises. First, Nehemiah asked for letters
of protection addressed to the local rulers of the areas he would
have to travel through. The Euphrates River was a natural dividing
line, giving the empire eastern and western halves. While the rulers
of the various sections of the empire served the king, they also had
extensive authority of their own within their districts. It was
certainly not beyond them to act independently at times. Nehemiah
knew that if that happened, his whole endeavor could be endangered.
He thus needed the letters authorizing his plan. Second, he needed
authorization for the provision of timber from local resources.
Asaph was a Jewish name, so it might be that he, like Nehemiah, was
a Jew who had achieved a high ranking in the empire. He would have
been sympathetic to Nehemiah's cause, but he would need permission
from the king to provide the needed lumber. Nehemiah specified three
projects for which he needed this material. First, he needed beams
for the fortress to be built near the temple. This was for the
purpose of protecting the temple, their holy place of worship.
Second, he needed material for the city wall—the very wall
Artaxerxes had previously denied. Third, he needed it for the house
he would occupy while in Jerusalem. Miraculously, the king granted
his entire request. Nehemiah gave all the credit to the fact that
God was blessing him in his endeavors.
SOLICITATION
Arrival (Neh. 2:11). The intervening verses (vss. 9-10) tell
us not only that Nehemiah had the necessary letters but also that he
was accompanied by some of the army and cavalry of the king. This
was quite a display of the king's authority and is an indication
that Artaxerxes was well aware of the tendencies of the various
rulers to act independently. As we might expect, the enemies of the
Jews were not at all happy about the situation. Sanballat and Tobiah
are mentioned. To them, Nehemiah posed a threat. After his arrival,
Nehemiah spent three days determining some course of action. There
must have been some traditional importance associated with waiting
this amount of time, for we read the same thing about Ezra's arrival
many years earlier (Ezra 8:32). Nehemiah probably used this time for
rest, prayer, and maybe getting acquainted with some of the people
in order to determine who could help in the work. It was not until
after this time that he selected a few trusted men to do a secret
nighttime survey with him to assess the damage (Neh. 2:12). -
Nehemiah's survey was thorough (Neh. 2:13-15), including various
gates and portions of wall. The text tells us that Nehemiah
purposely did not tell the officials of the city or any of the
religious rulers where he had gone or what he was planning to do
(vs. 16). He knew that his planning needed to be comprehensive and
complete before he presented his plan.
Assessment and challenge (Neh. 2:17-18). Nehemiah was clearly a
visionary leader. Sometimes it takes such a person to get a project
moving. After much careful consideration, Nehemiah was ready to
present his plan to others. The ones he presented it to were the
Jewish leaders mentioned at the end of verse 16, because they were
the ones who would have been concerned about the city in the same
way that Nehemiah was. He challenged them to look around and realize
anew what the conditions around the city were like. The word "waste"
means "parched and ruined," referring to that which has been
destroyed. This was the overall condition of the city and the gates.
Nehemiah's challenge was a straightforward call to get busy building
the wall of Jerusalem. His reason was that the ruined conditions
reflected badly upon them and their relationship with God. He said
they were a disgrace, a cause for shame. Judah's national and
spiritual heritage was being given a negative reputation. It was
their honor that was at stake. In order to help them accept his
challenge, Nehemiah gave personal testimony of how God had been with
him, directing him. He probably recounted for them the series of
events that had occurred since the time he had heard from Hanani and
had begun praying earnestly about the situation. He especially
wanted them to hear how the Lord had worked in the king's heart,
causing him to let Nehemiah go, provide a military escort for him,
and order the local people to help him with the needed building
materials. God was leading this work. When the people heard this and
recognized the hand of God at work, their response was a readiness
to get on with the task.
QUESTIONS
1. What was it that allowed Nehemiah the opportunity to make a major
request of King Artaxerxes?
2. What caused the king to open the conversation that led to
Nehemiah's request?
3. How do we know that during his four months of praying, Nehemiah
had given much thought to what he needed to do for his hometown?
4. What prevented Nehemiah's fear from overwhelming him in talking
to the king?
5. What did Nehemiah ask for, and how did the king respond?
6. What previous events made his response surprising?
7. What added things did Nehemiah ask for above his initial request,
and why were these important?
8. How long did Nehemiah wait after arriving at Jerusalem before
surveying the extent of the problem?
9. How extensive was Nehemiah's survey of the damage?
10. To whom and how did Nehemiah finally present his plan, and what
was the response?
Preparing to Teach the Lesson
Nehemiah was the king's cupbearer (Neh. 1:11) in the Persian palace
in Shushan (Susa). This was a position of honor. However, he was not
happy after hearing from Jewish brethren that the remnant who had
gone to Jerusalem were "in great affliction and reproach" (vs. 3).
The wall surrounding the city had been broken down and the gates
burned. Nehemiah was deeply moved and wept, mourned, fasted, and
prayed for several days (vss. 1-4).
TODAY'S AIM
Facts: to learn that God caused King Artaxerxes to sympathize
with Nehemiah and authorize him to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the
wall despite the obstacles there.
Principle: to be aware that God appoints certain leaders to
do His work and expects other believers to follow them.
Application: to help those committed to God to discern who
His chosen leaders are and to give them their support.
INTRODUCING THE LESSON
Nehemiah had two main sources of support in his effort to rebuild
Jerusalem. King Artaxerxes was his earthly source, and God was his
heavenly source.
As far as people in and around Jerusalem were concerned, Nehemiah
had to contend with pagan opponents who resisted the rebuilding and
with lethargic and discouraged Jews who had stopped working. He
might have concluded that one man could do nothing, but his sense of
mission deepened his resolve and moved him ahead.
DEVELOPING THE LESSON
1. Sadness (Neh. 2:1-6). It has been said that the way up is
down. Nehemiah seemed to rise up from deep personal depression to an
optimism given j to him by God. He conveyed his sadness to
Artaxerxes and was rewarded by being allowed to return to] Jerusalem
to rebuild it. The main thing] the king wanted to know was when
Nehemiah would be able to return. Discuss with your students the
attitude believers should have toward secular authorities when it
comes to doing God's work. It is good to keep two things in mind. We
should guard against any compromise of our sacred beliefs and
practices when seeking their favor. We also should remember that
since no one is outside God's sovereign control, He can use anyone
to carry out His will.
2. Supplies (Neh. 2:7-8). Nehemiah, j having gained the favor
of the king,! was bold enough to request that he be given letters to
governors who could] help him on his journey to Jerusalem.] He also
asked for a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, in order
to get lumber for the gates of the palace'] and the city wall. These
requests were granted. Nehemiah and his caravan were accompanied by
captains of the Persian] army and cavalry as he presented his royal
letters to the appropriate governors. Sanballat the Horonite and
Tobi-ah the Ammonite were exceedingly! grieved to hear that a man
had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel (Neh.
2:9-10). When it comes to accepting the resources we need, we should
acknowledge that they all come from our Creator-God and that He can
dispense them through both believers and ur believers as He pleases.
3. Survey (Neh. 2:11). Although they are not 'n our printed
text, we should also look at verses 12-16 to get details on
Nehemiah's survey of Jerusalem. After he had been there three days,
he went out by "night with a few men to circle the city and see
firsthand the condition of the wall and the gates. He kept this
nocturnal trip secret from the current rulers and priests in the
city. We should learn a lesson from this. It is a good idea to make
a personal investigation of a situation before we confront people
about it or offer a solution. It may be necessary at times to do
this in a quiet and guarded way instead of charging in without all
needed information.
4. Strength (Neh. 2:17-18). Following his discreet
investigation, Nehemiah faced the authorities in Jerusalem. He
expressed something they all knew when he said the wall was in
ruins. If the Jews wanted to avoid being continually ashamed before
the heathen surrounding them, they would have to rebuild the wall.
Nehemiah then told them about the good hand of God being upon him
and about the words King Artaxerxes had spoken to him. Encouraged by
support from their earthly king and the King of heaven and earth,
the people said, "Let us rise up and build" (Neh. 2:18). Their
resolve was strengthened for the work. The reaction of the pagans
named Sanballat and Tobiah was to laugh at and despise the Jews, but
Nehemiah replied that God would prosper His People (Neh. 2:19-20).
Subsequent chapters in the book tell us how this contest of wills
finally ended.
ILLUSTRATING THE LESSON
Nehemiah was a godly, visionary leader. Through him, opposition to
God's work in Jerusalem was overcome. He was a man of prayer,
preparedness, piety, and persistence. God can use people with those
qualities to do great things for His kingdom.
CONCLUDING THE LESSON
The wall around Jerusalem had to have the breaches, or gaps, in it
repaired, and there were plenty of stones lying around to be used.
There were capable masons to do this work, and there were carpenters
to use wood from the royal forest to rebuild the burned gates. Once
we make a determination to build something for God, we need to look
around and decide on the resources available to us. We can depend on
the Lord to endow us with creative thinking for getting the job
done.
ANTICIPATING THE NEXT LESSON
It is one thing to get excited about doing some project for God, but
it is something else to get involved in it and persist until it is
finished. Opponents and obstacles are common; we have to deal with
them and keep going. It is in the testing of our faith that we
develop strong spiritual character.
PRACTICAL POINTS
1. If God calls us to a work, He will open the doors necessary for
us to embark upon it (Neh. 2:1-3).
2. Others are more likely to honor our requests if they are humble,
sincere, and preceded by prayer (vss. 4-6).
3. Wise planning is not a lack of faith; it is characteristic of
faith (vss. 7-8,11).
4. If problems are to be solved, they must be honestly acknowledged
(vs. 17).
5. Someone who is convinced of God's guidance in his life can
encourage others to join in his good work (vs. 18).
RESEARCH AMD DISCUSSION
1. What evidences of God's providence do you find in Nehemiah 2:1-8?
2. How did Nehemiah prepare himself for making his request of the
king(cf. 1:4-11)?
3. Why did the king readily comply with Nehemiah's request (2:6-8)?
What lessons can we draw from this?
4. Why do you think the people in Jerusalem had not made the needed
repairs before Nehemiah arrived (vs. 17)?
5. How did Nehemiah convince the Jews to begin rebuilding the walls
(vss. 17-18)? Why is this a good approach to use in urging others to
do work?
6. How would you describe Nehemiah? What character qualities did he
possess that are essential for spiritual leaders?
ILLUSTRATED HIGH POINTS
Why is thy countenance sad?
A missionary prefaced his remarks to the church with these words:
"Please forgive me, for I know I will weep while I talk. I cannot
help it as I talk about the millions in China who need to hear the
gospel of Christ." He then went on to speak about the great impact
Christian radio was having among the Chinese people.
Joy is one fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), and joy should be
manifest in own lives. At the same time, we should be grieved over
many things that are contrary to the will of God. A possible
exercise for a Bible study group would be to list some of the things
in our nation, community, and church that truly upset us. Then we
could begin to pray about them as we ask God to use us to possibly
find solutions to these problems.
So I prayed
A very old joke says, "Who is the shortest person in the Bible?" The
answer is found in Job 2:11: "Bildad the Shuhite" (shoe-height). The
second shortest man is "Knee-high-mia." Seriously, Nehemiah was a
man who stood tall because he was a man of prayer. In this short
book there are thirteen references to prayer (Neh. 1:4-11a 2:4;
4:4-5, 9; 5:19; 6:9, 14; 9:5; 11:17;: 13:14,22,29,31). Mission
boards set policy as to how of-; ten a missionary should write to
hid prayer and financial supporters. Typically, each missionary
should write at least twice a year or every three months. A
missionary friend of ours will write (or e-mail) at least once a
month, sometimes more. He explains it this way. If you really
believe God answers prayer, you will ask for it often and give! your
prayer partners plenty of specific things and people to pray about.
Golden Text Illuminated
"I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as
also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let
us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good
work" (Nehemiah 2:18).
A characteristic of the true spiritual leader is a readiness to
relate the great things God has done for him. These words can
encourage others to find the strength to do what needs to be done.
The world's leaders often operate by boasting about their own
strength and basking in the applause of the crowd. These tactics
should not mark the man of God as he seeks to follow God's will.
Nehemiah followed the principle expressed later by the Apostle Paul,
who declared, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (I Cor.
1:31). Nehemiah told the people how the Lord had blessed him and
brought him to this point. This blessing had come through an
unlikely vessel: the king of Persia. Nehemiah had found favor with
the Persian king and occupied a high position in his court. We are
reminded of the words of Proverbs 21:1: "The king's heart is in the
hand of the Lord ... he turneth it whithersoever he will." Kings who
no doubt thought highly of their own sovereignty were repeatedly
used by God to advance His purposes. Joseph and Daniel are other
examples of God's servants who rose to positions of power in pagan
courts in order to further God's will. The king of Persia had
granted permission for Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem, but it was in
reality God who had sent him. And the words of Nehemiah had their
desired effect. The People were stirred up to begin rebuilding
Jerusalem's walls. The people had faith that if God was at work in
Nehemiah's life, they too could succeed in their labor for Him. This
shows how important it is for God's people to get together and
encourage one another about God's goodness and faithfulness. The
golden text says that the people "strengthened their hands" for the
task that lay before them. What does this mean? The phrase refers to
the vigor and determination they possessed. Nehemiah's leadership
had resulted in good things. Although the golden text does not say
it directly, we can well imagine that the encouragement of Nehemiah
led in time to the people encouraging one another. What better way
could there be to strengthen each other for the task ahead? As
believers, we should continually seek to strengthen one another, or
build each other up, in the Lord's work. This is what is meant by
the term "edification." In I Thessalonians 5:11, Paul said, "Comfort
(or exhort) yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also
ye do" (cf. Rom. 14:19; Eph. 4:16, 29). This is the way that things
can be accomplished for God. Perhaps hearing that Nehemiah had the
backing of the Persian king stirred the people to act. But we should
not forget the most powerful, impelling force of all—the grace of
God toward His people. God was at work in the hearts of His often
recalcitrant flock. As Derek Kidner put it, "so total a response
from such a group was . . . miraculous" {Ezra and Nehemiah,
Inter-Varsity). The Lord deserves all the glory for His people's
good work.
The Jewish Aspect
Nehemiah requested that King Ar-taxerxes give him a letter to Asaph,
the keeper of the king's forest, to provide the supplies needed to
rebuild the city wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 2:8). The Hebrew word for
"forest" is pardes, which occurs only two other times in the Old
Testament and is translated "orchards" (Eccles. 2:5; Song of Sol.
4:13). Edwin Yamauchi wrote that the king's forest should probably
be "identified with Solomon's Garden at Etham, about six miles south
of Jerusalem" (Gaebelein, gen. ed., The Expositor's Bible
Commentary, Zondervan). Josephus described this area as "very
pleasant in fine gardens, and abounding with rivulets of water.
Thither did he [Solomon] use to go out in the morning, sitting on
high in his chariot" (Antiquities of the Jews 8.7.3).
The Septuagint translated pardes with the Greek word paradeisos,
from which our English word "paradise" comes. The Septuagint also
referred to the Garden of Eden as paradeisos. In time, this term
came to be used for heaven. This concept has carried over into
English (Luke 23:43; II Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7).
Jewish rabbis extended the idea of the Garden of Eden to refer to
the abiding place of the righteous dead before their resurrection
and also to the eternal home of the righteous. One of the Dead Sea
Scrolls, the Testament of Levi (about 100 B.C.), refers to a coming
"priest" (messiah) who "shall open the gates of paradise" and "give
to the saints to eat from the tree of life" (5.26). The Apocryphal
Book of II Esdras (first century a.d.) stated that at the time of
judgment "the furnace of hell [gehen-na] shall be disclosed, and
opposite it the paradise of delight" (7:36). The Apocalypse of Moses
(fourth century a.d.) gave the location of paradise: "Lift him up
into Paradise unto the third heaven" (37.5), which parallels Paul's
much earlier statement in II Corinthians 12:2,4.
Modernist (Reform) Jews of today do not believe in any "actual,
spatial Heaven and Hell" (Steinberg, Basic Judaism, Aronson). They
affirm some type of final recompense but do not know how God's
justice will be displayed. Traditional Judaism of today, in
contrast, continues to believe in some kind of paradise or heaven as
the place of righteous departed souls before the resurrection and in
hell or she'ol or ge'hinnom as the place of wicked departed souls.
Some Jews consider life after death as merely "states" rather than
actual places. Some believe in the soul being reabsorbed into the
"Infinite." Some believe that the soul enters a lower paradise
first, where it experiences emotional bliss, and then later can rise
to the higher paradise, where it gains the greater delight of
knowing God ("Life in the Hereafter," www. elevated.fsnet.co.uk,
December 14, 2006). Others believe that, after a time in paradise,
the soul undergoes reincarnation and the process is repeated "until
a soul has built its spiritual body." Jews do not believe that
paradise is final. A resurrection will occur a which time God will
pronounce His final judgment, bliss or damnation and souls will then
move into the eternal state. Christians can see some similarity
between Judaism and New Testament teaching. The assurance of an
eternal heaven based on Christ's atoning sacrifice is the
significant difference.
Guiding the Superintendent
God is a God of the second chance. He is also the God of third and
fourth chances. God is always ready to receive His erring children
back. Over the last weeks we have been looking at God's covenant
with Israel and how they rejected His love on many occasions. But
the people repented (in the person of Daniel [lesson 9]) and
returned to the land of Judah. Yet they still were not enjoying the
full benefits of this new relationship with God. It would take
several things to happen for that to take place. Last week we saw
that they needed to get their priorities straight. They needed to
get first things first. This they did, and God started to bless
them. This week the second thing was added that would help them
enjoy their covenant with God. This blessing came in the form of a
person. The people needed someone to lead them into a new life. That
person was going to be Nehemiah.
DEVOTIONAL OUTLINE
1. A noticeable sadness (Neh. 2:1-3). The story opens with
Nehemiah in the royal palaces of Persia. Nehemiah had received the
bad news that the walls of Jerusalem were "broken down, and . . .
burned with fire" (1:3). This so saddened him that it affected his
job performance. While in the presence of the king, his sadness
overcame him. The king noticed and commented on it. He wanted to
know why Nehemiah was so sad. Nehemiah explained that he was sad
because of the destruction of Jerusalem's walls and gates.
2. A plan for action (Neh. 2:4-8). Nehemiah had the presence
of mind to think through what he could do if he had the opportunity
to go to Jerusalem. So when he was asked what he needed, he breathed
a short prayer and requested that the king allow him to journey to
Jerusalem and rebuild its walls. He even asked the king for the
materials that were needed to complete the job. Then the Bible says,
"The king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me"
(Neh. 2:8). The covenant God was still at work. We saw in our last
lesson how He stirred up the heart of Haggai to preach and challenge
the people to rebuild the temple. Now God worked through Nehemiah to
get the walls rebuilt.
3. An important trip (Neh. 2:11,17-18). The king granted his
request, and off Nehemiah went. After a long trip, he made it to
Jerusalem. He surveyed the condition of the walls. They were even
worse than he had imagined. A meeting with the people was called.
Nehemiah challenged them to start the task of rebuilding the walls.
He encouraged them two ways. First, he included himself in the task
of rebuilding. Second, he explained how God had been behind his
entire trip and project.
AGE-GROUP EMPHASES
Children: Grace is always a difficult concept for a person to
get his mind around. This is especially true for children. Nehemiah
2:8 and 18 detail grace at work.
Youths: It is regrettable, but for many teens their lives are
burned gates and broken walls. Help them see how God can restore
what seems totally lost.
Adults: Many adults have become jaded by years of defeat.
Nehemiah is an encouragement to them that God is still alive and
active in the world. God will always give them another chance.