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Nehemiah, A Man of Concern

Nehemiah 1

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Nehemiah

• Nehemiah came out of Babylonian captivity• He was concerned about

rebuilding the wall and about restoring the people to their God

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• He was a man of prayer who worked hard and stood against those who opposed the work in Jerusalem• He led by example

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•I. Nehemiah’s Sacrifice

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• We need to consider the great sacrifice he made in doing the work in Jerusalem• He was a “cupbearer of the king”

(Neh. 2:1)

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• The cupbearer to the king filled the wine cup and served the wine to the king – could also include one who tasted the wine before it was given to the king

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• He gave up this position for the work of rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem which took more than 12 years of his life

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Phil. 2:5-8 (Sacrifice of Christ)

• 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant,…

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• and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

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Rom. 12:1-2 (We must live sacrificial lives)

• I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service….

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• And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

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•II. Nehemiah’s Sorrow

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1. He showed concern

• Neh. 1:1-2• The words of Nehemiah the son of

Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,…

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• That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

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• Nehemiah asked how the Jews were doing in Jerusalem• We need to ask: • about others – about the church,

etc.• How do we know what to pray for if

we never ask people?

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• We should not be afraid to ask and those whom we are concerned about should not be offended by our asking

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Gen. 37:14

• And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

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2 Samuel 18:29

• And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.

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Esther 2:11

• And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.

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2. He could be touched – Neh. 1:4

• And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

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3. He had determination – Neh. 1:11

• O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

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•III. Nehemiah’s prayer

(1:5-11)

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1. He is a man of prayer

• He prayed in times of sorrow• He prayed when he was about to

undertake something very important

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2. His prayer was earnest

• “certain days” – “fasted, and prayed (1:4)• “day and night” – (1:6)• “I beseech thee” – (vs. 8,11)• Beseech = to ask for earnestly

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3. Confessions of wrong (1:6-7)

• Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants,…

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• and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned…

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• We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

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4. His urgent requests

• (an appeal to the name of God)• (1:5) And said, I beseech thee, O

LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments

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(an appeal to the promises of God)

• (1:8-9) Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them;

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• though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

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(An appeal to their relationship with God)

• (1:6) Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants,…

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• and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.

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• (1:11) Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

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Conclusion

• Nehemiah was a man of:• Sacrifice• Sorrow and concern• Prayer• Let us follow his good example

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References

• Adapted from outline by Tom Moore