Please turn with me in your copies of God's Word to the book of Nehemiah. We'll be picking up Nehemiah in Nehemiah chapter 2. Last week we read about how Nehemiah got this report that while he's in Persia, he's away, he asks, inquires about the remnant that has been restored out of exile. And he is told that they are in trouble, that the gates are on fire, that the people are in a shameful state. And Nehemiah grieves and he offers up this beautiful prayer on behalf of the people. And then we turn to Nehemiah chapter 2. We'll read the chapter in its entirety. Nehemiah chapter 2. the word of the Lord. In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. And the king said to me, Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart. Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, Let the king live forever. Why should not my face be sad when the city, the place of my father's graves, lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire? Then the king said to me, What are you requesting? So I prayed to the God of heaven, and I said to the king, If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my father's graves, that I may rebuild it." And the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, how long will you be gone and when will you return? So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. And I said to the king, if it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province beyond the river. that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy. And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me. Then I came to the governors of the province beyond the river. and gave them the king's letters. And now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me, and I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do in Jerusalem, for there was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. I went out by night by the valley gates to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. Then I went on to the fountain gate and to the king's pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and 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 was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work. Then I said to them, You see the trouble that we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer suffer derision. And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king? Then I replied to them, The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem. Thus ends the reading of God's Holy Word. Let's ask that our Heavenly Father would bless our time meditating upon these words this evening. Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the riches it has. Father, we pray that you would help us to study your word rightly. Help us to understand what you would have us understand. and help us to do your word, to live it out, to be your servants, your kingdom workers. We pray that you would work this about in us by the power of your Spirit. We pray in the name of your Son, in Jesus' name, Amen. Well, we finally get an answer to Nehemiah's prayer. We ended with a beautiful prayer, an amazing prayer, a reverent prayer. And as we begin this chapter, and as I pointed out last week, it's four months until we pick up the story again. Nehemiah has been waiting for a response. What should he do? What can be done? His people, this remnant exile, are in trouble. we pick up with this amazing tale. And as we come here to Nehemiah 2, after we've been going through this portion of God's Word, at first in Ezra, now in Nehemiah, we may be growing used to these pagan kings acting favorably towards God's people. But we cannot take it for granted. As we come across this again, this is an amazing thing that God is doing in the heart of this pagan king, that he's doing on behalf of his people. He is preserving his people, this promised remnant. He's preserving the line of Christ, as we thought about this morning. So do not take it for granted, though this is a repeated event in this portion of God's Word, it's no less special and it's emphasizing over and over again our Father's care for His people. And as we think about what can we take away from this chapter, what's maybe the main thrust of the chapter, it's that we ought to seek the Lord in kingdom work, that we should seek the Lord. We must seek the Lord if we want to have success in kingdom work. If the Lord is not building the house, the laborers labor in vain. He is a necessary foundation for kingdom work. Seek the Lord in kingdom work. Our first section, this first portion of the tale, reminds us that in seeking after the Lord for kingdom work, we ought to come with this perspective that we recognize evil as evil, that we recognize problems as problems. We ought to mourn evil. And Nehemiah demonstrates that, and it's almost comical the way that it reads. Nehemiah, as the narrator from which we're getting this perspective, he says, I had not been sad in the king's presence. And then the king says, Nehemiah, why are you sad? And we may struggle, what's going on there? And I think Nehemiah is explaining why it's been so long since we're picking up in the story. Four months ago, he prayed for boldness before the king, that he would have success in coming before the king in this matter, and yet he's admitting that he had kept it back, that he had not revealed what was troubling him to the king until this point. And now the king is saying, Nehemiah, what's troubling you? This thing that is bothering you is a sadness of the heart. You're not sick, but I can tell that something is wrong. Nehemiah was so grieved by the state of his people that it was clear to those around him. This is a good reminder for us. We so often do not want to face our troubles head on. We don't want to recognize our troubles for what they are. When we see the effects of the fall around us, when we are confronted with our own sin, when we're confronted with the corruption of of our government or of our leaders. We want to turn away our natural inclination, at least my natural inclination is to just not think about it, to just try to buck up and distract myself, do something else. We don't want to mourn sin. We'd rather just be happy, to pretend like everything's okay. But brothers and sisters, everything is not okay. We live in a fallen world. We are confronted with brokenness all the time. Brokenness from our own sinful choices. Brokenness from the sin of others. Brokenness from the world and the flesh and the devil. We should not just excuse these things. We should not just ignore them, but we should mourn them. They should grieve us. And that grief should lead us, turn us towards God. the one who can do something about it, the one who's provided a way for us to deal with our sin, to confess and repent, the one who can answer our prayers asking for revival and reformation and repentance for those who are sinning against us. We must be mourned by our sins so that we can go to God over our sin and the sin of those around us, the brokenness of this world. Things were not right for God's people in Nehemiah. mourned. In verse 2 we see the hesitation that Nehemiah has in revealing this problem to the king. As soon as the king recognizes that something's wrong, Nehemiah says, then I was very much afraid. What is about to happen here, what he's about to reveal to the king could be considered treason. It could be considered a different alliance, a different allegiance with another nation. It was a tall order, what Nehemiah was about to ask. And so he was afraid. He had no idea how this king would respond. And we know from Ezra that Artaxerxes has already ruled on this issue. There was a letter that came before him and he said that the people must be stopped from rebuilding their home. He also said, unless I change my mind. In his official decree, he said, until I change my mind. So Nehemiah is here wondering, how will this king respond? Is it going to ask this pagan king to reverse an earlier decision, and that is no small thing. And thus, he says, I am very much afraid. As we read this, we can imagine the drama there. We can feel that tension as the way it's laid out before us. And we almost want to hold our breath as we read that word. I was very much afraid. And then we get this indication that he quickly gasps a silent prayer and then lays forth the trouble to the king. The cupbearer is in a position of trust. The king must trust his cupbearer. That's a crucial aspect of who a cupbearer is. So we know that there was some sort of trusting relationship between Artaxerxes and Nehemiah. And as it's revealed to us that Artaxerxes responds favorably, that's indicated clearly. This was a good working relationship. Artaxerxes quickly grants Nehemiah's request. He sees the trouble that this had caused Nehemiah, and he knew that this was not a man that was being politically manipulative. He wasn't conniving and thinking of some way to overcome Artaxerxes reign, but he was personally deeply burdened for the state of this remnant. And Nehemiah is good and maybe clever in the way that he presents it to the king. He presents it as such. This is the land of my father's graves. It was personal. And the king saw that this was genuinely personal. We can think of Esther, who did something similarly with King Xerxes, and she comes before him. And she presented it as personal. My people are being killed. And these pagan kings, due to common grace and due to the amazing intervention of God on the story, on what's happening, they respond favorably out of care, personal care for these people, for Nehemiah in this case. Conviction is infectious. Genuine concern is palpable. It is powerful. Brothers and sisters, this is a good word for us. May we be people of conviction. May it be evident to those that we interact with that we are troubled by injustice. That we're troubled by sin. That we grieve with those who grieve. As we think about the unbelievers that are going through grief right now, we think of Sam and Bea's extended family. May they witness true conviction. May those that do not know God see in us a true grief over the brokenness of this world. And may that conviction be infectious. May it lead to favorable responses, not just towards us, but may it lead to repentance for those that do not know God. We must recognize sin is sin. We must recognize brokenness is brokenness may we be true in our witness to that when we're around unbelievers isn't it so tempting to think more like them to to maybe laugh at sin or or to dismiss sin or not to call out sin for what it is we want to lighten it we want to diminish it but we ought to mourn the evil that is around us This king was clearly struck by the way in which Nehemiah mourned the situation of God's people. Later we'll see the same thing as Nehemiah presents to the Jewish leaders his plan. There's true conviction there. Nehemiah is a man of conviction. May we be the same. Later we'll see some opposition, some hints at opposition with Sanbalat and with, let me find it, Tobiah and Geshem. Tobiah was likely someone that had close family ties to the Jewish people. We'll read his name, we'll come up later. He was actually likely related to the Levites. And these others were foreigners that had been given some sort of rule as officials in the province beyond the river as it's referred to in Persia. And they clearly did not mourn evil. They thrived on it. And they're set up as a foil against Nehemiah. These men were ruling with their own interests at heart. They weren't seeing things rightly. They wanted the evil to persist. They wanted God's people to not be shown favor. They wanted them to be in this shameful state that they're in so that they could thrive, that they could continue to domineer this land, that they could continue to be in power. They didn't want their power threatened. It's a good picture for us. Do we respond to evil like Nehemiah or like these foreigners who embrace it for their own advantage, their own comfort? May we recognize sin for sin and flee it, rather than embrace it to our own advantage. So mourn evil as we seek after the Lord in kingdom work. The next is we see this call, heeding the call to service. Nehemiah's call is confirmed by this pagan king, Artaxerxes, and it's further confirmed as he presents his plan to the Jewish officials and leaders and people at the end of the chapter. Nehemiah was very careful as he sought out to make these plans. He didn't rush in and say, this is what I want to do, and this is what we're going to do, and here's how we're going to do it. He was careful and he waited upon the Lord in many ways. He waited four months for the Lord to guide him. He was praying continually. Finally, there's an answer. God exerts his blesses him and he says, go. And then Nehemiah comes in and he waits and he waits for further confirmation from the people who are going to do the work. We see that throughout the second portion of this chapter. He begins His request, if it please you, King. As He makes this request to the King, we know with certainty that Nehemiah wasn't confusing who was in charge. In chapter 1, He's so clear, God, You are the God of heaven and earth. It's to you that I bring this burden to. He knew who was in control, and yet he also understood that the sovereign God, in his sovereignty, can ordain it so that he could use a pagan king to bring about his work. So Nehemiah says, if it please you, king, he makes this request to Artaxerxes. He knew that God could use Artaxerxes to bless Nehemiah and the remnant, that he could be his tool He recognizes the decisions of earthly rulers are not permanent, that they are not final or irreversible. That's a good word for us, that the governing of our earthly rulers are not final, that they can be reversed and overturned. We ought to pray that wicked laws be overturned and that good laws remain. Nehemiah is requesting that this wicked law, this wicked ruling and decree be overturned. He knew that God could do it. God could overturn it in Artaxerxes' own heart. God could intervene. Nehemiah sought the Lord. It almost reads as a throwaway statement, but it's a powerful and beautiful statement. When he makes this request to the king, In verse 4, the king says, What are you requesting? Get to the point, Nehemiah. He's already said he's very much afraid. He says, So I prayed to the God of heaven, and I said to the king, and so on. He quickly prays to the one who is in charge, and then he voices his concern to the king. That's a great example to us of what it means to be praying without ceasing. that we can pray to God at all times, and we ought to do that. We must pray to God. We have an example in chapter 1 of a beautiful, robust prayer. But God is just as pleased with the quick, silent prayers in time of need that we find in chapter 2. So be praying like Nehemiah. Pray without ceasing. Pray to God and then speak, do, act. recognized God's involvement in the situation. He recognized that there's another party to this conversation that I'm having with King Artaxerxes. He makes a prayer to the God of heaven. Nehemiah's request is answered, and he's given an army, and that's well contrasted with what we read in Ezra. You'll remember that when Ezra makes his request, he's blessed, and Ezra makes this bold statement that the God of heaven is in control, that he is doing a work in Jerusalem, and that he must be worshipped rightly, that he's the true God. And Ezra was concerned with his witness to the king. And so they're about to leave him in this whole wave of exiles. And he says, we can't ask for an army that will diminish our witness, that will diminish God's power. We can't ask for protection. We must trust God to protect us in our journey. And God does. And here we have Nehemiah. And so you might ask, is Nehemiah somehow less faithful? Is he less obedient to God? Less of a man of faith? And I don't think so. It's a good example for us that there can be different responses to God in different circumstances, different times. That our Christian walk is not a one-size-fits-all. It's always going to look exactly the same. God is pleased by faith that looks differently in different circumstances. And we have to remember that Nehemiah is in a very different situation. He was the cupbearer of the king. Ezra was sent back with this kind of missionary status. Go back and instruct the people. Get them to be worshiping rightly. Bring reformation to the worship to the people. Nehemiah is sent back to rebuild the city. And he's going in really an official capacity as the king's cupbearer. Go and do this. How long will you be gone for? I'm not releasing you from duty. And he is going after the king has already said that it's not going to happen, that the people must not rebuild the city. And so he needed the pomp and circumstance, the official capacity of a whole escort and letters saying the decree has been reversed. It was a very different circumstance. And so I don't think it's right to think that somehow Nehemiah is less faithful or that there's somehow a foil to Ezra's faithfulness, but rather it's a different circumstance and Nehemiah is clearly recognizing that God is the one to thank. God is the one that has provided even this pagan army to provide safety. In verse 19, we see a response to the opposition. And we've thought a lot about opposition and that we as a church ought to expect opposition. We ought not to be surprised when opposition comes, when the world would seek to oppose us. And we see that more and more in our own day, don't we, here in this country? Greater opposition to right and true worship of the true God. We see a godly response, a bold response to opposition. I'll just briefly draw your attention to it. At the end of the chapter, in verse 20, as these people jeer, these foreigners jeer at them, Nehemiah says, The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem." Isn't that a great bold statement? Derek Kinder says that in those three words, that portion, right, and claim, he dismisses the past, present, and future of these outsiders in their right to speak into God's plan for Jerusalem. We ought to be strong in speaking against opposition that would seek to undo the church, to push back and diminish God's kingdom. We ought to be bold and say that you have no right, you have no portion in telling the church what it can or cannot do. We see the wisdom of Nehemiah and his leadership. We see that when he arrives, he is slow to reveal what he's come to do. We can imagine him, he gets there and he doesn't know what state it's in. He's wondering, what is in store? What have I gotten myself into? And he goes with the cover of dark to inspect. And then, only then, after that, he presents to the priests and the nobles and the officials that he has come to build the wall. And when he does so, he is clear that this is right, that this is good. And in verse 18, he says, I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and what the king had spoken to me. Preeminent in Nehemiah's mind, and it's repeated three times in this chapter, is that the hand of God was upon him. The hand of God was upon him for good. Nehemiah leads patiently and with wisdom. He is patient as he waits. He's practical and he's theological, and he provides the people with a practical and theological plan. God would be pleased. God's hand is upon me. He has ordained this to come about. He even allowed the King to bless us in this. And I've inspected it, and here's the plan. Let us rise up and build. be impressed by Nehemiah here. And Nehemiah is a good example to us about good leadership, about moving slowly, about making plans and being practical and thinking through things, and then bringing people along with you in your leadership. But the key takeaway of Nehemiah chapter 2 is not, not let us be like Nehemiah as we lead, although there is application there, but the key takeaway is that the hand of God was upon him. That's the decisive factor. That's what makes the difference. It's not Nehemiah's leadership skills. It's that the hand of God was upon him. Nehemiah's faith isn't what brings about success here, but it's the object of his faith. the hand of God, God who is good and in control, and His hand was upon Nehemiah. As we read in Ephesians, if you are in Christ, then you possess boldness. The boldness that we read about here where Nehemiah voices his concerns to the king. He voices this great plan to the people and the Jewish leaders. Let us build these walls. He's bold, and we possess boldness. not that comes from ourselves, but in Christ. We ought to depend upon him and seek after him as we seek to be his servants, his kingdom workers. Don't do it if the hand of God is not upon you. Seek after the Lord. Calvin talks about the Christian walk. John Calvin. And he says, first, we believe the promises of God. Next, by relying on them, we obtain that confidence, which is accomplished by holiness and peace of mind. And last of all comes boldness, which enables us to banish fear and to come with firmness and steadiness into the presence of God. May we seek after that boldness. May we seek to mature in Christ. That the faith that has brought us into union with Christ would mature into boldness before God and man. That we would boldly seek after God's kingdom work. That we would be a witness to others. There will come a day when the darkness is gone forever. When we're no longer laboring. in this toil against darkness, but when everything is made right. And as we await that day, may we seek after God. May we do so boldly. Let's pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for how you preserved your word for us that we may have record of this story, this great work that you brought about. these people that lived long ago. As we marvel at these events, we marvel most of all at your faithfulness, despite the people's faithlessness. We remember that these people were in exile due to their sin, to their idolatry, and even in recent times, even in Nehemiah's own day, the people continued to turn away from You. And we know it in our own heart that we continue to turn from You. And yet, You are faithful. Father, we pray that we would be found in You, that we would rest in Christ's finished work, that we would be free to labor not for salvation but for your kingdom as a witness to you as we seek to love those around us. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.