WhatsInItForUs48

www.touchet1611.org

Another Sermon for the Starving Bible Believing Christians All Over the World Wide Web
2007 - KJV Bible Believers Church in Touchet, Touchet, Washington - Pastor Mike Paulson - 2007
Expounding the way of God more perfectly - Acts 18:26 - with the Scriptures Rightly Divided - II Timothy 2:15

Adult / Kids Sunday School Series

What's In the Old Testament "FOR" us?

What's In It "FOR" Us?
Part XLVIII
Nehemiah

December 2, 2007
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition,
upon whom the ends of the world are come.
I Corinthians 10:11
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,
that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Romans 15:4

The Walls of Jerusalem Are Rebuilt
&
The Public Reading of the Book

We see detailed Old Testament worship and physical dedication of ap physical object "for God's" use...

Unfortunately, we see that it is all still going on today!
We also should see that Paul says type of worship doesn't impress God today. We are a spiritual kingdom, not a physical one!

In fact, this kind of OT worship is not even recognized by God today!
Acts 17:24.25 - God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
Romans 14:16 - For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

When Nehemiah went to Jerusalem in 444 b.c.,

Ezra had been there for 14 years.

But Ezra was a priest, teaching religion to the people.

Nehemiah came as civil governor, with authority from the king of Persia to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and to make it once again a fortified city.
By then, the Jews had been home nearly 100 years.
Ezra had 'finally' got the temple built!
Esther & Mordecai had done their part in saving the Jews from extinction!
Now, it is time for Nehemiah to rebuild the wall to protect Jerusalem again!
They will then dedicate the wall.
At the end, Nehemiah seriously "cleans house!"

Nehemiah 1–2
Nehemiah's Journey to Jerusalem

Nehemiah was a man of prayer.

His first impulse always was to pray (1:4; 2:4 [a short & fast one]; 4:4, 9; 6:9, 14).
He spent four months in prayer before he made his request to the king (1:1; 2:1).

Nehemiah was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes (1:11; 2:1), a trusted and important official.

Artaxerxes I was king of Persia (464 - 423 b.c.), son of Xerxes...

...the stepson of Queen Esther.

Esther became queen of Persia about 60 years after the Jews had returned to Jerusalem.

This must have given the Jews great prestige at the Persian court.

Esther most probably was still alive, and an influential personage in the palace, when both Ezra and Nehemiah went to Jerusalem.
We just may have Esther to thank for Artaxerxes' kindly feeling toward the Jews and his interest in having Jerusalem rebuilt.

Nehemiah 3
The Gates Repaired

Sheep; fish; old; valley; dung; gate of the fountain; water; horse; east; Miphkad.

Fish gate - 3:5 - the nobles put not their necks to the work of their LORD.

Gate of Ephraim mentioned in 8:16; 12:39 but not in relation to being repaired.
Remains of the “broad wall” (3:8), the “valley gate” (3:13), the “pool of Siloah” (3:15), and the “water gate” (2:14) have been found during archaeological excavations.

Nehemiah 4–6
The Wall Built - in spite of the enemy!

Old-time enemies of the Jews, who were now in possession of the land - Moabites, Ammonites, Ashdodites, Arabians, and the recently imported Samaritans - craftily and bitterly opposed the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem.
Their attempts to stop the wall from being built is the same plan used by the enemy of a serious Christian today!

Wrath, great indignation and mocking - 4:1-3
Conspire to stop you - 4:7,8
Sneak in amongst our own rubbish - 4:10,11
Fuss over finances - 5:1-5
Seek compromise - 6:1,2
Slander - 6:5-7
Try to cause you to stumble - 6:10-14
This can come from family, as well - 13:4, 28 (Jeremiah 20:10)

But Nehemiah, with faith in God, skillfully armed and arranged his men and went to go straight through with the work, day and night.

4:13 - Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
4:18 - For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

And in spite of all obstacles, the wall was finished in 52 days.

6:15,16 - So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

But the enemy didn't give up!

6:17-19 - Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

Protection program to keep it fortified this time.

see 7:1-3 - Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed, That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many. And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.

Nehemiah 7
A Register of the genealogy

A protection 'program' was implemented - 1-3
After the wall was built, Nehemiah and Ezra gathered the people together to organize their national life.

From a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first. that Nehemiah found.... 4,5

Ezra 2 is about the same as chapter 7:6-73 of Nehemiah

it gives the list of those who had returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel nearly a century before.

verse 66 - total congregation - 42,360
verses 65-70 - detailed numbers of the extras

Nehemiah 8
Public Reading of the Book of Law

Then, for seven days, every day from early morning till midday, Ezra and his helpers opened the Book of the Law, read from the Law of God, and provided explanations so that the people understood what they heard.
This was all the first day - verses 1-12; 2nd day, vs 13.
Notable highlights in these verses:

1 - And all the people gathered themselves together as one man ...
2: And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, ...
3: And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.
4: And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5: And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
6: And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7: Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
8: So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
9: And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10: Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
11: So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
12: And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

This public reading and exposition of God's Book brought a great wave of repentance among the people, a great revival, and a solemn covenant to keep the Law.
It should be noted that it was the finding of the Book of the Law that brought about Josiah's great reformation (2 Kings 22:8-20).

It was Martin Luther's finding of a Bible that led to the Reformation and brought religious liberty to our modern world.

Then the King James Bible which brought the written word to every person.

- the complete Bible - done! - that which is come - I Corinthians 13:10

Next to come will be the Lord Himself...

...to stay this time!

Proclaimed it a Holy Day - vs 11
Later, vs 14,15, they 'found in the law' to dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month; and to publish and proclaim... how to build their booths.

The people did so - gladly! vs 16-17
From the first day unto the last day, Nehemiah read in the book of the law of God. vs 18