Sermon: Nehemiah 13: 1-31 Remember Me

We all know how fairy tales are meant to end. From no age, we’ve heard the stories of Cinderella, or Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty. And they all the same way, with a fairy tale ending. You know how it goes: And they all lived happily ever after. We know how fairy tales end - and we are brought up to have the same kinds of expectation for our own real life stories. But I don’t have to tell you that real life stories don’t always end in the fairy tale way.

Too often we see in others, or experience in our own lives that, actually, things don’t always work out the way we expect, and people don’t always have the happy ever after.

I wonder if you were surprised when you heard the closing chapter of Nehemiah’s story? No matter what way you look at it, this is far from a happy ever after. Just in case you need to be brought up to speed, we’ll do a quick recap. Nehemiah had been cupbearer to the king of the Persian empire. He had been born in exile, far from Jerusalem. He had heard of the state of the city (walls broken down, gates burned with fire), and the people of the city (in great trouble and disgrace). And so he wept, and prayed, and answered God’s call to build up the city and the people - so that, in time, God’s promised Messiah Jesus would come from that nation.

And this book has told Nehemiah’s story - oftentimes like a journal, where Nehemiah records what happened, and also his personal thoughts and reflections on what was happening. And through the first twelve chapters, we’ve seen how God was gracious to him, and helped him and the people to complete the work, building the city wall in 52 days (despite opposition, taunts and threats); and building up the people of God through hearing, understanding and obeying God’s word. A day of repentance brought about a new agreement to follow God’s Law. And last week we saw how they celebrated the dedication of the wall, with much joy and rejoicing. That would have been the moment to end the movie, to roll the credits, and rejoice in all that God had done. And the caption on the screen would have said: ‘All they all lived happily ever after.’

Except, that’s not quite how everything turned out. From the highs of chapter 12, we plunge into the depths of chapter 13. And everything seems to have gone wrong. All Nehemiah’s hard work seems to have been for nothing. And so Nehemiah records what happened - and with it, records a series of prayers in the light of those events, each time asking God to ‘remember me.’

We get the timescale in verse 6. Nehemiah had arrived in Jerusalem in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, and in the thirty-second year and returned to Susa, to the king. Some time later (we’re not told how long), he comes back to Jerusalem. And it’s on his return that he discovers how things have been going in his absence. And to his horror, he discovers that their determination to follow God’s Law has slipped away, and they’re repeating the disobedience of previous generations of the people of God.

So what went wrong? And how would Nehemiah sort it all out? That’s what we see in this chapter. And the first instance is in verses 1-3, where they were actually over-zealous in applying God’s Law. Mostly, when we think of falling away from God, we think of letting things go, not being so strict, of licentiousness, whatever goes. But obedience to God is like walking a tightrope. On one hand, there’s the danger of being casual about things (we’ll see that in the rest of the chapter), but on the other side of the tightrope, there’s the danger of legalism, trying to be more strict than God.

So when the people hear the Book of Moses being read, and they hear that ‘no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God’, the people are over-zealous in their response to the Law. In verse 3, we see that ‘they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.’

But that was an over-reaction. It wasn’t even what God had said! In verse 2 we see why the Ammonites and Moabites were to be excluded. ‘Because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them.’ We’re back in the days when God had rescued his people from Egypt. And the Ammonites and Moabites were afraid of the Israelites, so that they refused to help them in the wilderness, and tried to call down curses. God turned Balaam’s curses into blessing).

So with verses 1-3 in front of you, listen to Deuteronomy 23:3, and compare and contrast. ‘No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation.’ Now, how did they get it wrong? By this stage, 1000 years later, they were long past the tenth generation, so any Ammonites or Moabites who wanted to come and worship the true God should have been welcomed; after all, Ruth was a Moabite, and she came to worship the God of Israel, and even ended up in the Messiah’s family line! But also, the short-term restriction of ten generations had only been for those two nations. Not, as verse 3 says, ‘all who were of foreign descent.’ They’re over-zealous, and getting it just as wrong.

But let’s move on to see the opposite danger of letting things slip. We see that from verse 4, with the neglect of the God’s house. Within the temple buildings, there were a number of storerooms, with a priest in charge of them. Now, this priest, Eliashib, he was closely associated with a name that should be familiar - Tobiah. He had been one of the main opponents of Nehemiah. And yet Eliashib allows Tobiah to move in to the large room in the temple buildings. It would be like us sub-letting the Vestry.

With Tobiah moved in, there was no room for the things that should have been stored in the storeroom - the grain offerings, incense, temple articles, and tithes. And so, things had slipped. Verse 7 describes it as an ‘evil thing’ and so it’s no wonder that Nehemiah threw all of Tobiah’s stuff out of the room.

Imagine Tobiah coming home, and finding everything he owns out on the street. The locks changed. And no room to move his stuff back in, because Nehemiah has purified the rooms and moved all the equipment and offerings back into the room again.

So why was this such an evil thing? Tobiah was doing his friend a favour, but he was damaging the worship of the temple. We see that because of the knock-on effect of Tobiah’s occupation of the room. With nowhere to store the offerings, the Levites and singers hadn’t been paid (in the food they were to eat), and so they had gone back home to their own fields. So you turn up to temple worship, you wait for the choir to sing, and there’s no choir. You look for the Levites to do their bit in the worship, and they’re not around either. The house of God is suffering, and the worship of God is suffering.

Remember back in the big agreement everyone had agreed to in chapter 10? What was the last line summary of the whole thing? ‘We will not neglect the house of our God.’ (10:39). Yet now, Nehemiah asks the question in verse 11: ‘Why is the house of God neglected?’

Nehemiah’s remedy is to re-establish the tithes (from ‘All Judah’), and to appoint different men to take charge of the storerooms, men who were ‘considered trustworthy.’ (13). And after that, we get the first of Nehemiah’s prayers: ‘Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.’

He’s asking God to remember him, but there almost seems to be a bit of self-pity - he has been faithful, even if everyone else hasn’t been.

In the next section, the problem is the desecrating of the Sabbath. Again, this had been part of the big agreement, that they wouldn’t buy from neighbouring peoples on the Sabbath day. But again, they have slipped away from God’s standards. Men from Judah are treading winepresses, bringing in grain, as well as wine, grapes, figs and other kinds of loads. In other words, they are working on the day of rest. And others are getting in on the act too - the men of Tyre, bringing in fish to sell on the Sabbath. So Nehemiah confronts the nobles of Judah, the leaders of the people, and rebukes them (17). ‘What is this wicked thing you are doing - desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn’t your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.’ History was repeating itself.

The remedy was that Nehemiah ordered the gates to be shut, and not opened during the Sabbath. A few times the merchants came and spend the whole night outside Jerusalem, but Nehemiah chased them. And again, we get the second of Nehemiah’s prayers: ‘Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.’ (22)

He’s still appealing for God to remember him based on his actions, but now he’s asking for mercy, according to God’s great love (or steadfast love).

In the last section, we see the problem of inter-marrying with the surrounding nations. It’s not so much that other nations are wrong in themselves, it’s more that they don’t worship Israel’s God - it’s the not being unequally yoked with unbelievers that we find in the New Testament. But Nehemiah discovers the problem for himself with these marriages - half the children ‘did not know how to speak the language of Judah.’ In other words, they didn’t know and couldn’t understand God’s word and couldn’t worship Israel’s God.

Nehemiah is frustrated by this ‘terrible wickedness’ and takes out his frustrations on some of the men - rebuking, beating, cursing, and pulling out their hair. Why? Because he sees history repeating itself all over again. He points to Solomon, the great king, but he was led into sin ‘by foreign women.’

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, it turns out that the grandson of the high priest was married to a foreigner, and no ordinary foreigner at that, but the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite. Sanaballat had been the one who had mocked the work (2:19), had plotted against the work (4:7), and had tried to frustrate the work (6:2-5). Back in 2:20, Nehemiah had said: ‘As for you, you have no share in Jerusalem.’ Yet now, here he is, the father-in-law of the high priestly family.

So now we get another of Nehemiah’s prayers - the same word, but a different sentiment: ‘Remember them, O my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.’ (29). Remember them, not in blessing, but in judgement. That’s the tone of that prayer. And it comes out of a passion for God’s glory and holiness.

The remedy comes in verse 30 - Nehemiah purifying the priests and Levites of everything foreign, assigning them duties, and making provision for the worship of God in the temple through firewood and firstfruits.

By the end, Nehemiah appears to be demoralised, and disappointed. His efforts for reformation and revival have been frustrated, time and again. So what are we to make of his story?

We see that just trying really hard to keep God’s Law doesn’t really work. None of us can do it. We’ll fall into legalism or licence. And we simply can’t do it.

We see that sometimes, even our best efforts for God don’t seem to make much of a difference - at least not in our lifetime. Yet here we are, two and a half thousand years later, reading the story of Nehemiah, warts and all, something that Nehemiah could probably never have imagined possible.

And we see that while we may not have the fairytale ending in this life, God has prepared something so much better for his people. The book finishes with Nehemiah’s final prayer. A short prayer. Gone are his merits. Gone are his brownie points. And he closes with a simple prayer that goes like this: ‘Remember me with favour, O my God.’ A simple prayer for grace.

It’s a prayer not unlike the other prayer we heard in our second reading. It too came from a man at the end of himself, yet a man who was the complete opposite of Nehemiah. Nehemiah had struggled to obey God’s word, the other man was hanging on a cross, his crimes having caught up with him. Yet he prays a similar prayer that Nehemiah’s: ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’

There’s no reason why Jesus should remember him. No list of merits, achievements and accomplishments. But none are much of a help. We simply need to come, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. And Jesus, the innocent one, dying on the cross for lawbreakers and sinners, gives this other dying man a great promise - the assurance of salvation: ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’

Jesus answers prayers like that, and prayers like Nehemiah’s last one, because he is the Saviour of religious types and sinner types and all types of people. And what is promised? Much better than a fairytale ending - paradise itself. No matter how things go in this life, or how our lives come to an end, like a fairytale or not, we have this promise of paradise to look forward to, and to enjoy forever.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 3rd March 2019.

Sermon: Nehemiah 11-12 Dedicated

If you were to put together the soundtrack for your life, which songs would you include? Perhaps there are particular songs that fit into particular periods of your life; songs that, when you hear them, you’re reminded of a specific day, or incident, or period of your life. Maybe the song that was your first dance at your wedding. Or a song from your childhood that sparks memories.

One of the songs that seems to stick in my memory was released 21 years ago. And twenty years ago, when I was finishing school, this was the soundtrack to our secondary education. It’s by Fatboy Slim, and the words go like this:

‘We’ve come a long, long way together,
through the hard times and the good.
I have to celebrate you, baby,
I have to praise you like I should.’

At the age of 18, those words seemed to sum up our schooling, and the end of an era that was the Wallace High School, Lisburn. But as I sat down to consider these chapters of Nehemiah, it seemed as if they could be included in his soundtrack as well. You see, we’ve come a long, long way together from when we first met Nehemiah back in September.

Back in chapter 1, Nehemiah was in Susa, the capital of the kingdom of Persia. He was an Israelite who had never been in Israel, born and brought up in exile far away from God’s promised land. He had just heard the news of the state of the city of Jerusalem, and it had caused him to weep.

The people who had returned to Jerusalem were in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and its gates had been burned with fire.

City and people were in disgrace. It caused Nehemiah to weep, but more than that, to pray. And so Nehemiah prayed, as God had put it on his heart, to go with the king’s support, to rebuild the city and its people.

And since September we’ve been following the hard times and the good that Nehemiah faced back in Jerusalem. It wasn’t an easy job to rebuild the walls - not everyone was on board with the idea; and there was opposition from outside, threats, and taunts. There were problems inside the city too, as the rich exploited the poor to make a quick buck. But despite all those problems, the wall was built in fifty-two days. Nehemiah then turned to the other item on his checklist - to rebuild the people of the city. He did that through the reading of the Law, hearing what God wanted of his people - which led to joy (the joy of the Lord is your strength), but also to repentance, and a resolve to follow God’s word. We saw that last week in their solemn agreement, setting out their promises to obey what God had said.

Tonight, in chapters 11-12, we see the final elements coming together in Nehemiah’s grand plan of building up the city and the people. And remember why all of this is so important. God had promised that his Messiah, his king, would come through the Jewish people. So it’s vital for God’s promises to be fulfilled that the Jewish nation is intact and prospering - so that Jesus will be born. So let’s see how the final details of Nehemiah’s plan came together.

You might remember that back in chapter 7, we heard how ‘the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.’ (7:4). That is only really resolved at the start of chapter 11. The leaders live in Jerusalem, but there’s still more room. So ‘the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.’ (1)

The people themselves were tithed, a tenth of them to live inside the city of Jerusalem. And the rest of the chapter is a list of the residents of Jerusalem - at least 3044 men (plus wives and children) - from Judah, and Benjamin, as well as priests, Levites and gatekeepers. And we read of where the temple servants and singers settled.

Things really are coming together. And as chapter 12 comes, there are more unpronounceable names, with the family tree of Levites and priests. You’re welcome to have a read through them all later on yourself. But we’re going to pick up again from verse 27, at the climax of all that Nehemiah had set out to do.

And just as my old school-leaving song put it, ‘I have to celebrate you, I have to praise you like I should.’ Here we see the great outpouring of celebration and praise to God, because of all that has been accomplished in the city of Jerusalem.

The occasion is the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. With its dedication, Nehemiah’s building project is complete. The city will be secure, and returned to its previous position. The disgrace is finished, as they celebrate. And they take it very seriously!

‘At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem.’

Now, with Holy Week and Easter on the horizon, the choir will be gathering from next week to practice some special pieces. (You’re very welcome to come along and join us!) And here we see all the singers from all their villages come together to sing along to the Levites playing their instruments.

But first there’s an important priority. Verse 30: ‘When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall.’ Everything has been purified, has been dedicated to God. And so they’re ready to begin the celebration.

From verse 31, Nehemiah divides the leaders, the choirs, and people into two groups. And they’re to go on top of the wall in opposite directions, playing and singing God’s praise, until they meet up at the house of God. And the nearest picture I could think of as to what this would be like was, forgive me, the Apprentice Boys of Derry! Before their big parade in August, they parade around the city walls. And what’s going on in Jerusalem is a bit like that.

Do you see what they’re doing? They are encircling the city in praise. They are covering the city in praise. And with each step that they take, they are praising the God who fulfilled his purposes, despite the taunts and threats of the opponents. Taunts like Tobiah’s words back in chapter 4: ‘What they are building - if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!’ (4:3). Here, the people of God are walking on their wall. The work has been done. And God is to be praised.

By verse 40, both choirs have made it to the house of God. The singers take their places. The trumpets are sounded. And the note is a note of joy. ‘And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.’ (43)

If you were making a movie of Nehemiah’s story, this is where you would end. The camera hovers over the scene, as everyone rejoices, job done, and then pulls back, with the sound of rejoicing still audible, until the titles roll.

As Solomon, in an earlier period of Israel’s history had said when he dedicated the temple, ‘Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.’ (1 Kings 8:56)

Solomon could see the fulfilment of God’s promises, and yet there was more to come - not least the destruction of the temple he was dedicating. And for Nehemiah, he rejoices as he sees God fulfilling his purposes in his day, but as you can see, even his book isn’t finished, let alone the whole of God’s plans and purposes. So for us, even as we celebrate at all that God has done for us, as we look back, and see the long, long way we’ve come, the hard times and the good, and even as there is much to celebrate, and much to praise God for, there is still more to come. He is not finished with us yet.

For Nehemiah, the remaining verses of our chapter is setting practical details in place, things like storerooms and people to supervise them. They build on the precedent of what David and Solomon had commanded, and they provide for the service of God’s house, just as they had promised at the end of chapter 10: ‘we will not neglect the house of our God.’

Tonight, take an opportunity to look back; to reflect on how God has been at work in your life to fulfil his plans and purposes. Rejoice in all he has done. But don’t just settle for what’s happened in the past. Continue to look to the future, to dedicate yourself to his service, to look to what he is doing today, and tomorrow, and how you can be involved as he builds his kingdom, and works towards that great and final day of rejoicing.

Perhaps we can give the final word to Fatboy Slim:
We’ve come a long, long way together,
through the hard times and the good.
I have to celebrate you, Jesus,
I have to praise you like I should.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 24th February 2019.

Sermon: Nehemiah 9: 1-38 Saying Sorry

It’s one of the first words that children learn to say, but it’s perhaps one of the words that they don’t really want to say. And so, often, I’ve watched as the child is kept back from playtime or privileges, maybe perched on the naughty step or time out zone, until they say the five letter word. What is it? Sorry. As Elton John once sang, Sorry seems to be the hardest word.

Tonight we’re listening in as the Israelites do just that. They have gathered together to say sorry. The chapter heading put in by the NIV publishers says ‘The Israelites confess their sins’ but that’s another way of them saying sorry to God.

Last week, in chapter 8, we saw how the people had gathered together a few weeks before. Then, they had heard the Book of the Law read out for over five hours. And as they heard God’s Law, they wept, because they realised they had fallen short and failed to obey. But on that occasion, they were told not to weep, because the joy of the Lord is their strength - that joy of hearing, understanding and obeying God’s word.

But now, three weeks later, they are here to do business with God. There’s no party atmosphere this time. They have come to weep and mourn and confess their sins. Do you see how they do it in verse 1? ‘Fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads.’ These are all signs of mourning. They are here to confess, to say sorry to God.

Notice that it’s those of Israelite descent (2), they have separated themselves from all foreigners. And they are confessing ‘their sins and the wickedness of their fathers.’ They’re owning up to their own sin, rather than just blaming the generations past. They’re serious about saying sorry. And it shows - for a quarter of the day, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God. Another quarter is spent in confession and in worshipping the LORD their God.

This seems to be private, rather than corporate - each person meeting with God and confessing their own sins. And offering praise to God. but from verse 4 we see what was said from the front, as the Levites (all those guys again) lead the people - calling in loud voices to the LORD their God (4) and in calling the people to ‘Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.’ (5).

The bulk of the chapter, however, is taken up in the form of this long prayer. It appears to be led by the Levites, as they speak to God and confess the sins of the people. But did you notice how it’s composed?

What was your favourite subject in school? Maybe maths or English. Maybe geography or science. Or maybe history. You see, this prayer, this confession, is a retelling of the history of God’s people. This prayer is going to be like a history lesson for God’s people, reminding them (and us) of how things have gone in the history of God’s dealings with his people.

So as the people stand up to praise, that’s where this prayer begins. It begins in praise of God, verse 5-6. There’s praise for God because of who he is, and because of what he has done - his acts of creation. The prayer begins with that desire that God’s glorious name will be blessed and praised, exalted above all blessing and praise. So however much praise anyone else gets - sports stars or pop stars - God’s praise is to be exalted above all other praise. Why? Because God alone is LORD, the God who made everything - the heavens, the starry host, the earth and all on it, the seas and all in them. God made everything, and gave life to everything, so that it is right and proper that the multitudes of heaven worship him.

So when we come to pray, we do well to remember who it is we’re speaking to. His glory, majesty, power. The one who deserves our praise and worship.

From verse 7 through to 15, we get a recap of Israel’s history - all the things that God has done. So, in verse 7, we hear how the LORD God chose Abram, brought him from his homeland, and gave him a new name, Abraham. God then made a covenant with him, to give his descendants the promised land. And the summary is that ‘You have kept your promise because you are righteous.’ (8).

God also saw the suffering of his people in Egypt, and their cry at the Red Sea. And so, God sent miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, working to save his people; and making a name for himself. God split the sea for the Israelites, but drowned their pursuers. And he led his people with the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire.

And he gave his people his law at Mount Sinai, God coming down to his people, speaking to them from heaven. God fed his people with bread in their hunger, and gave them water when they were thirsty, and told them to go in and take the promised land.

God had done all this, he had provided and protected and fulfilled his promise so many times. And how did the people respond? We see their response in verse 16. ‘But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them.’

They rebelled against God, even when he had done so much for them. In fact, they even wanted to turn back to Egypt, and appointed a leader to do that. They preferred the thought of slavery, rather than obeying God, whose service is perfect freedom.

What did they deserve from God? They deserved punishment! They had disobeyed, and yet how did God respond? ‘But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them...’ God didn’t abandon them to judgement, didn’t leave them to wander on their own, not even when they made the golden calf. God was patient towards them. They lacked nothing, having God’s provision, God’s Spirit instructing them, and even their clothes didn’t wear out or their feet swell.

Those were the wilderness years. Surely it would be better when they were in the promised land? We see that account from verse 22. God giving kingdoms and nations into their hands. Fulfilling the promise of descendants like the stars in the sky. They captured the land, filled with good things, ‘they ate to the full and were well-nourished; they revelled in your great goodness.’ (25).

But at the start of verse 26, we find that word ‘but’ again. ‘But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you.’ And the pattern would continue. God would send enemies to them, the people would cry out, God would save them, then things would go bad again, and round and round the pattern continued.

But it wasn’t just like playing on a roundabout or a merry-go-round, where you go round and round and then stop where you started. No, this pattern of going round and round was more like a spiral staircase, going round and round, but also going down and down, each time things getting worse, farther and farther from God.

The arrogance continued (29), they continued to turn their backs on God, but God was still patient. Yet God’s patience came to an end, and he handed the people over to the neighbouring peoples. And even then, he didn’t make an end of his people - why? ‘For you are a gracious and merciful God.’ (31)

In verse 32, we see the final plea, the appeal, for God to help his people. They appeal to ‘our God, the great, mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love’ - asking that God would help them. They know they don’t deserve any help - ‘In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong.’ (33). So because they can’t ask for justice, they must ask for grace. They’re in the mess they are in because of their sin.

They’re slaves in their own land. Another king rules over them, enjoying the harvests of the land of promise. And how do they sum up their position? ‘We are in great distress.’ They are experiencing the miseries of sin. They are, as the traditional language service puts it, ‘miserable offenders.’ They don’t deserve anything, but they look to the God of their fathers; the God of the covenant. Did you notice how God has been described?

He’s from everlasting to everlasting; blessed; righteous; the promise-keeper; the Lord who worked miraculous signs and wonders; the provider; forgiving, gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and abounding in love; patient; gracious and merciful.

This is our God. He is the same yesterday and today and forever. He still offers us his compassion and mercy - even when you think you have blown it. There is still the opportunity to come back to him, to turn around and return to him. Indeed, as Romans 5:20 says, ‘where sin increased, grace increased all the more.’

And that grace of God is seen in the cross of the Lord Jesus, where our God took upon himself the penalty our sins deserved, in order to give us his righteousness. Forgiveness is available, freely given, if you’ll but ask and receive it.

For Nehemiah and his people, their repentance leads to action. They make a binding agreement, as they resolve to change. We’ll see it next time we’re in Nehemiah. But tonight, perhaps as you fall asleep, take a few moments to reflect on your own life story, on the ways in which God has been faithful, even when you’ve turned your back on him. And rejoice once more in his grace and mercy, his steadfast, and the forgiveness found in the Lord Jesus.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 27th January 2019.

Sermon: Nehemiah 8: 1-18 The joy of the Lord is your strength

Marie Kondo is a professional decluttering advisor, who has written books on how to tidy up your home and to declutter any space in it. She recently launched a new TV series on Netflix, where she goes in to help people with the process of decluttering. I’m not entirely sure that I would buy into all that she advises - for instance, it seems that she says that you should only keep no more than 30 books. I’m not sure how I would manage with that bit! But when it comes to decluttering, here’s the question that she uses to help her clients decide whether to keep something or to get rid of it: Does it spark joy?

The reason I mention Marie Kondo is because that’s the very question that we’re asking tonight. Does it spark joy? You see, in our reading tonight, we come to what is probably the best known line from the whole book of Nehemiah. If you weren’t able to think of much else of what Nehemiah does or says, there’s a fair chance that you would know this line. It appears in modern Christian songs, it’s quoted in lots of Christian books, and it’s often seen in social media posts. The joy of the Lord is your strength.

But what does it mean? What did it mean when Nehemiah said it? And what might it mean for us, tonight in Richhill?

Last week at Cafe Church we were looking at happiness and how to be happy. And we saw how happiness depends on what happens, it can go up and down, whereas joy is that Christian virtue, that fruit of the Spirit, that continues to bear us up no matter what our circumstances. It’s a settled contentedness that comes from the Lord.

But to ask Marie Kondo’s question in a slightly different way - what is it that sparks this joy? How do we get this sort of joy in the first place?

The answer that Nehemiah 8 gives us may not sound like the most exciting answer. It might sound a wee bit boring, predictable, and unexciting. But it’s the answer that Nehemiah gives, and the whole Bible confirms: The joy of the Lord comes from hearing and understanding and obeying the word of God. That’s it. That’s what Nehemiah 8 will show us. But it’s far from routine. It is revolutionary - it was for the people of Nehemiah’s day, and it will be for us as well if we really hear and obey God’s word.

Our reading tonight describes a most remarkable week in the life of the city of Jerusalem. We’ve been watching as Nehemiah hears the report of the city when some of the people have returned from exile. The people in great trouble and disgrace, and the city walls broken down and the gates burned. So Nehemiah set out to build up the walls, and then to build up the people. His first task was completed, so then he set about building up the people.

And to do that, a great assembly is called on the first day of the seventh month. Verse 1 says: ‘all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate.’ Everyone is gathered together, they’re all there, for just one purpose. They want to hear the ‘Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.’ (1).

Their desire is to have the first five books of the Old Testament read aloud to them - the Book of the Law of Moses. They want to hear God’s word. You see, in these days, not everyone would have been able to read. And very few would have had a copy of the Scriptures - certainly not like the easy access we have these days with Bibles galore and Bible apps on our phones. they wanted to hear God’s word. And that’s what Ezra gives to them.

The assembly gathers, ‘men and women and all who were able to understand’, in order to hear Ezra read for hours and hours from God’s word. Did you notice how long it was? ‘From daybreak till noon’. The seventh month is when we have September. And daybreak in September comes between 6.15am and 6.30am. (Isn’t the internet wonderful for all sorts of information!). So for at least five hours, Ezra reads, ‘And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.’

Verses 4 onwards tell us a bit more about the practical details of how it was all worked out. There’s a high wooden platform built for the occasion, so that Ezra can be seen and heard. The other priests in verse 4 are on either side of him.

Verses 5 and 6 tell us about the liturgical details, each of which show how the word is honoured and respected. So, earlier, you stood for the reading of the Gospel, and said the responses ‘Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ’ and ‘Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.’ Well here, in verse 5, when Ezra opens the book, the people stand up. As Ezra praises God, the people lift their hands and respond with Amen! Amen! Then they bow down and worship.

The Levites also have their part to play. They seem to be in and among the crowd, instructing the people in the Law. They’re reading from the Book of the Law, ‘making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.’ And, in a sense, that’s what we’re doing right now, and what we seek to do in every sermon - to read and then explain and apply God’s word, so that it’s clear and the meaning is given, and so that everyone can understand it. That’s why it’s good to have your Bible open in front of you, and it’s why there’s a lot of work goes into sermon preparation and writing.

In verse 9 we see the conclusion of the day’s events. The reading and explaining has been finished. So what is it that Nehemiah and Ezra and the Levites say? ‘This day is sacred to the LORD your God. So not mourn or weep.’ This is a holy day, a sacred day, and so they say not to mourn or weep. Why do they say this? Well, because, as verse 9 continues: ‘For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.’

As they heard what God demanded of them, as they heard what the Law said, they were weeping, because they realised how far short of the standard they were. At high school I wasn’t terribly athletic (I know that’s hard to believe!) but I definitely didn’t like the high jump. The bar was set, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get over it. And the Law sets up a standard, but no one could keep it. And so the people weep and mourn. They’re aware of their failings.

But notice what Nehemiah also says as he says those famous words of his: ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our LORD. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’ (10).

There’s a contrast here - between the grieving and the joy. The people think they need to fast and grieve. But instead Nehemiah says that the Lord gives joy, that there’s a joy in hearing God’s word, that this day is special, that it should be kept with feasting, because they have heard God’s word. This joy is something only God can give, and it gives us strength for all that he calls us to do in response.

After the Levites have said the same, we see the effect in verse 12. ‘Then all the people went away to eat and drink, and to send portions of good and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.’ They go to feast and to share so that others can feast, because they celebrate with great joy. And why do they have this great joy? Because they understood God’s word.

Is there a danger that we’re so familiar with the Bible that we think we know it all already? Have we lost this joy, this amazing thrill of hearing and understanding God’s word? You remember the disciples on the road to Emmaus, their hearts burning as Jesus explained the scriptures to them. Have we ever had that good type of heartburn as we’ve really grasped what God is saying... to us?

Now, that was all day one. (Don’t worry, the other days will be briefer!) And on day two, verse 13, it’s a smaller gathering back for more Bible study. It’s not the whole assembly then, but it is the ‘heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law.’

The leaders of the people are there to study the Bible. And as they read and study, they discover that God had commanded a special feast to be kept in that very month, on those very days. The feast of booths (or Tabernacles) was to remind the Israelites of how their ancestors had lived in tents during the wilderness years, on their way to the promised land. And so straight away, they hear and respond to God’s word - they obey it - and send the word out to everyone to come with branches to make booths to stay in for the week of the feast.

Everyone built their shelter - either on rooftop or courtyard or temple courts or in the city squares - and lived in it for the feast. It hadn’t been seen or experienced for a very long time - in fact, not since the days of Joshua son of Nun, when Israel first entered the promised land. ‘The Israelites had not celebrated it like this.’ And what happens when they do? ‘And their joy was very great.’ (17).

And so, for the whole seven days of the feast, Ezra reads from the Book of the Law of God. There is joy in hearing and understanding and obeying God’s word. Yet, as we’ve said, and know all too well, we can’t keep the Book of the Law. The standard is too high. It would be like having the pole vault height and having people try to high jump over it. None of us can do it.

But that’s why Jesus came into the world. He came to fulfil the demands of the Law. He perfectly obeyed every command on our behalf, and then took the punishment of the law-breaker. And why did he do it? Hebrews 12:2 - ‘for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.’ Jesus was focused on the joy set before him as he suffered on the cross. And in Jesus, we are offered the joy of the Lord to strengthen us. He gives us his joy so that it is just as if I’d never sinned, but had perfectly obeyed the word of the Lord.

Tonight we’re invited to share in the meal that celebrates his victory on the cross. In bread and wine, we marvel at his grace, that takes law-breakers and makes us law-keepers. Find in Jesus your sins forgiven and receive his perfect righteousness. Then rise from the table, determined to grow in the joy of the Lord, to find strength for the journey, as you hear and understand and obey God’s word.

Perhaps Marie Kondo’s question does make sense. Other possessions, even other books may or may not do it for us. But above all, as we take up our Bible, may we know for sure that it sparks joy in our minds and hearts and lives, because it is God speaking to us, calling us to follow and obey. The joy of the Lord is your strength. May this be so tonight, and always.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 20th January 2019.

Sermon: Nehemiah 7: 1-73 Registering Returnees

We’ve had almost two years of President Trump, and already the talk is of who the candidates will be for the next Presidential election in November 2020. You may remember that one of Trump’s big campaign promises was that he would ‘Build a wall’ on the Mexican border. Two years on, he doesn’t really seem to be making much progress on his promise.

In contrast, over the autumn term we were watching as Governor Nehemiah returned to the city of Jerusalem, ready to build a wall. The city wall of Jerusalem had been broken down and its gates burned with fire. That was the case since Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylons had invaded, taking the people of Jerusalem away in exile. Nehemiah had heard about it all from his place in Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire - the empire that had conquered Babylon.

And so, over the first six chapters of his book, we’ve seen how he determined to build up the wall, to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, to again make it the place of God’s glory. We’ve listened in to his prayers of confession and intercession; we’ve watched him make the long journey home’ we’ve witnessed him hard at work with many of the residents of the city; and we’ve seen him respond to the barrage of threats that came against him.

So, when we read in Nehemiah 6:15 that the wall was completed in fifty-two days, we might think to ourselves: ‘Job done.’ Quicker, and better than the US President. You could say that Nehemiah trumped Trump. And you might think to yourself, so, is the rest of the book just about how Nehemiah took a great big rest, sat with his feet up and enjoyed a cup of tea as he looked out at the city wall he had built?

Well, we’ve already read chapter 7 tonight, and as you’ve probably noticed, sitting down and taking a rest was the last thing on Nehemiah’s mind. Even the opening words of 7:1 show us that there’s more to come: ‘After the wall had been rebuilt...’ Finishing the wall was not the finish of Nehemiah’s work. But then, if you remember, it wasn’t the only reason he was downcast in the first place.

Flick back to 1:3 and you see what it was that caused Nehemiah to weep: ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.’

It wasn’t just the wall that was broken down, it was the people who were broken down. And it was always Nehemiah’s hope and wish and prayer that he would build up the people as well as building up the city. So while the city came first, because they needed a place of safety and shelter, the city wasn’t all that he had come to put right.

Maybe you’ve been putting together a list of jobs to be done in the new year. Putting the Christmas tree away. Tidying out a particular cupboard or room. Doing a spot of decorating. And it’s with great satisfaction that you tick it off. But with one job done, there’s always another waiting for you. So here, Nehemiah has the wall built, but from tonight on, we see that he tackles his second to-do item on the list - build up the people of the city.

‘After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed.’ (1) With the gates in place, you need some gatekeepers - the people who will guard and defend the gates. To oversee them, Nehemiah appoints Hanani over the city, and Hananiah the commander of the citadel. But Hanani’s appointment isn’t nepotism, or family favouritism - it’s because ‘he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.’ These were the qualities Nehemiah was looking for - integrity and the fear of the Lord.

The overseers are given instructions for the gates not to be opened until the sun is hot. (Some commentators reckon this might mean that the gates are to be closed during the siesta in the noonday sun). More guards were to be appointed, some at their posts and some near their own houses. There was no point building walls if the gates were going to be left open and unguarded. So safety and security is under control.

But go back for a moment to the other people Nehemiah appointed. Alongside the gatekeepers were the singers and the Levites. Was it an audition like The Voice which is on TV on Saturday nights? Were they looking for the next pop star? Well, no, these singers were appointed to sing God’s praise in the temple. King David had originally put singers in the temple, and so here Nehemiah is re-establishing true worship. That’s also the case with the Levites - men of the tribe of Levi who weren’t priests, but who served in the temple. Nehemiah is building up the people through providing security and spirituality.

But do you see how the two parts of Nehemiah’s work - building up the city walls and the people go together? Look at verse 4: ‘Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.’ A big city, lots of space, but it could hardly be a city if it has no people. The people need to be built up. And that’s what Nehemiah turns to do:

‘So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:’ (5)

God puts it on Nehemiah’s heart to gather the people, to assemble them, so that they can be registered. Nehemiah is seeing who he has to work with - the people that God has given to him. But if you look closely at verse 5, the list of unpronounceables here is an older list - of those who had been the first to return. And this is almost exactly word for word and number for number the same list as you find in Ezra chapter 2. There are some slight differences in spelling, and some different numbers. But it’s essentially the same list. And what does it tell us?

It tells us that God was faithful. He had promised that a remnant would return from exile, and this big long list is a record of the people who returned again to their promised land - all 42,360 of them, besides 7337 servants and 245 singers.

It tells us that God was not finished with the Jewish people. He had promised that the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah, and the tribe is still going, with Zerubbabel (7) and the men of Bethlehem (26) mentioned. The family line of David through to Jesus was still on course.

It tells us that people matter to God. Every person, whoever they were descended from (8-25), wherever they came from (26-38), or whatever their role in the temple sacrifices and worship (priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, Solomon’s servants v39-60), every person mattered and was counted.

It tells us that Gentiles were being included among the people of God. In verse 61 we see the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda, who couldn’t prove their descent from Israel, but who were part of the people.

And it tells us that the purity of the priesthood was vitally important. You see that in verse 63, where the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai can’t find their family records, and so are excluded from the priesthood as being unclean. They couldn’t have just anybody serving as a priest in the temple. Its purity was important.

So almost 50,000 people have returned to Jerusalem and Judah, according to this list of Ezra, and copied by Nehemiah. God’s promises are on track. And yet the city was broken down, and these returned people weren’t much better - in great trouble and disgrace. They need to built up just as much as the city needed to be built up.

But notice that they were generous, they were willing to contribute to the work of the Lord. The governor, and the heads of the families, and the rest of the people give freely and willingly to the Lord’s work - thousands of drachmas of gold, thousands of minas of silver, bowls, and garments for the priests.

But as the closing verses tell us, the people went to settle in their own towns. The people are spread out across Judah, and the city is spacious and fairly empty. There’s more work to be done. But Nehemiah has made a start. He didn’t rest on his laurels. He needs to build up the people of Judah, so that the promised Son of David, the Lion of Judah, could come and rescue his people.

Through Nehemiah’s work, God is at work. And through the things that we do, our feeble efforts, our stumbling attempts, God is at work to bring in his people, to populate his eternal city, to ensure that the people he has elected and chosen and called will indeed be brought in. When the roll is called up yonder, will you be there?

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 6th January 2019.

Sermon: Nehemiah 6: 1-19 Carrying on a great work

As some of you may know, last week we were in Bulgaria for a few days. Normally, people from here go to Bulgaria for the skiing, but we didn’t do any skiing. Instead, we visited with missionaries and a pastor. It was a humbling experience, to sit and talk with a man whose church building had been confiscated by the Communists; and who then began to lead an underground church, meeting secretly. With new legislation being debated in Bulgaria, religious freedoms are under threat, and the pastor reckoned things would be worse than under the Communists.

The question that arises is this - why are people who are seeking to be faithful to God, and proclaiming the name of Jesus, facing such pressure and threat and opposition? We don’t think it should be this way. And yet these saints are facing danger and threat in the very near future (all over again).

The thing is, though, that no matter where you might be reading in the Bible, God’s people always seem to be under some sort of threat, facing some sort of opposition. So it’s not as strange as we might think it to be. It seems to be the usual pattern for God’s people - opposition of one sort or another. And why does it happen? Well, to put it simply, we have an enemy, who doesn’t want us to prosper, who seeks to make things difficult for us as we seek to follow Jesus.

So as we turn to Nehemiah 6, we discover that he is facing all sorts of opposition. Again. You see, back in chapters 2 and 4, there was some initial opposition to Nehemiah’s building project from Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem. And, as chapter 6 opens, those same three names come up again.

So, what’s Nehemiah doing, and why is he being opposed as he tries to do it? The big picture is that Nehemiah, born in exile, far away, has heard of the state of the city of Jerusalem. Its walls were broken down and burned. Its people weren’t much better off. And so Nehemiah, by God’s providence, cupbearer to the king, comes with the king’s blessing to rebuild the city walls of Jerusalem.

And there’s opposition to the building work. A few years ago, Channel 5 had a tv programme ‘Neighbours from Hell’ about neighbours who caused hassle. Nehemiah was living with neighbours, if not from hell themselves, then inspired by hell. You see, Nehemiah is building up the city of Jerusalem - the city of the people of God, the people of God’s promise, that the Messiah, God’s king would come from. Without the people of God, there can be no Messiah from God. Without Nehemiah’s work, Jesus could not have come to be our Saviour.

And so the devil, through these neighbours from hell, is trying to prevent God fulfilling his promises, and stopping Jesus from coming into the world. Do you see how important Nehemiah’s work is? And why the opposition is increasing in pressure - all to prevent God’s purposes from being fulfilled.

In verse 1 we see the context of this renewed opposition. Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem (and all the rest of the enemies) hear that Nehemiah has rebuilt the wall with no gaps (although the doors aren’t in place yet). The project they had mocked is coming to an end, the walls of safety and security are being finished, and so they need to do something to try to stop the work at the eleventh hour.

The first plan of attack comes in verse 2. The message from Sanballat and Geshem: ‘Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono’ But Nehemiah sees through their scheme, they were scheming to harm him, so he’s invited to the plain of Ono, and he says Oh no! I won’t go! Well, that’s the paraphrase. He actually says: ‘I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?’

At the basic level, it’s an attempt to distract him from carrying on a great work. Especially given they try the same message four time! But the deeper threat is them scheming to harm him. The devil is trying to take Nehemiah out of the game, to prevent the work from happening.

And we can see in the life of Jesus the same attack being tried time and again. When Herod gave the order for all the baby boys of Bethlehem to be slaughtered. When the crowd in Nazareth try to push Jesus over the edge of the cliff. The storm that arises when Jesus is in the boat. Even the crucifixion itself! But none of those attempts on Jesus’ life were successful until the moment God had planned - when Jesus’ death would fulfil his purpose.

After four failed attempts, the enemies decide eventually(!) to try something else. This time, verse 5, they send the same message, but also with an unsealed letter, for anyone to read. And the message tells how a report is going around (and Geshem says it’s true, so it must be true...) about how the Jews are going to revolt, and how Nehemiah is going to proclaim himself king. It’s a bit of bribery or blackmail - when they say, now you wouldn’t want the king to hear about this, would you? You’d better come here to us and we’ll sort it all out.

Nehemiah’s reply is straightforward and fairly blunt: ‘Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.’ It’s all lies and nonsense. Pure fantasy. But do you see their motive this time? Not so much to harm Nehemiah physically, but to harm him mentally. ‘They were all trying to frighten us, thinking. “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”’ (9)

They’re trying to weaken Nehemiah and the workers through fear. You’ve heard that expression ‘paralysed by fear’ - that was their aim. They were trying to stop the work from being completed. But remember, no building work, no Jewish nation, no Jesus.

And we hear the same devilish accent in the words of the Pharisees in Luke 13:31, when they say that Herod (another Herod from when Jesus was a baby) wants to kill him, so he should go somewhere else. They were trying to use fear, trying to stop Jesus from completing his life’s work. But Jesus responds that he will stay on course and complete his work, and reach his goal.

So the threat of harm hasn’t worked. Neither has the threat of fear. And we see that in Nehemiah’s prayer: ‘Now strengthen my hands.’ (9). Give me strength to keep going, even when there are fearful threats.

But that doesn’t stop the neighbours from hell. Now, they try a different approach. One that, at first glance, might sound reasonable. Nehemiah is visiting Shemaiah, who appears to be a prophet in the city. He advises that Nehemiah should meet him in the temple, the house of God, behind closed doors, taking refuge there, because men are coming to kill Nehemiah.

Doesn’t that sound reasonable, maybe even sensible? And we’ve heard of the idea of taking sanctuary, taking refuge in religious buildings. But we see Nehemiah’s answer in verse 11: ‘Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!’ So Nehemiah isn’t going to run away, or hide away.

But there’s more going on below the surface. You see, the prophet wasn’t saying these things because God had sent him. He was saying these things because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He who pays the piper calls the tune - and they wanted to intimidate Nehemiah.

And the aim was to make Nehemiah ‘commit a sin by doing this and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.’ (13). How would this be a sin? By going into the temple, the holy place, Nehemiah would be sinning, disobeying God’s command. He would be trespassing the boundaries God had set in place. If he had done that, then his name would be mud, he’d have a bad name, he’d be discredited.

It was a temptation to sin by seeking self-preservation. And while Nehemiah didn’t sin in this regard, he had sinned in lots of other ways (we see his confession in chapter 1). Jesus was tempted in the same way, over and over. Tempted to make stones into bread to satisfy his hunger after forty days of fasting. Tempted to throw himself down from the top of the temple to test God’s protection. Tempted to bypass the pain of the cross and receive the kingdoms of the world by worshipping Satan. Tempted (by Peter) to not go the way of the cross. But in all these temptations, and in every temptation, Jesus committed no sin! That’s why he is our perfect Saviour, the one who covers our sins through his perfect life, and his perfect death on the cross for us.

The Satan who tried to prevent Jesus from fulfilling his mission (and was unsuccessful in that endeavour!) also tried to prevent Jesus from coming into the world through his opposition to Nehemiah. But as Nehemiah joyfully records, this opposition was also unsuccessful.

The wall was completed in fifty-two days. That’s some going, with all that had been going on in the background. And when the enemies hear the news, they ‘were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realised that this work had been done with the help of our God.’

Project fear hadn’t worked, and now the enemies are themselves afraid. They begin to realise that there is a God, and he has been helping his people to bring about his purposes. Nehemiah shows us how God’s enemies (and the enemy) seek to prevent God from fulfilling his promises. The enemy’s plans never change - he was at it in Nehemiah’s day, he was at the same tricks in Jesus’ day, and he is at the same tricks here in Richhill, and in Bulgaria, and all around the world in our day. But we have God’s help as we carry on a great project, the building up of God’s people, as we call people to turn from their opposition and turn to the living and true God, as we wait for his Son from heaven.

[How ironic, then, that when Nehemiah’s enemies realised that God was at work to help his people, some of God’s people were at work to help his enemies! The nobles of Judah were bound in closely with Tobiah - through oaths, and relationships, and letter-writing, and advocacy for him. They talked about his good deeds, and how wonderful he was! All while the letters come seeking to intimidate Nehemiah and prevent God’s work from going forward.

So where do we find ourselves in this story? Where do we fit in? Are we among the godly but confused, advocating for the enemy, blindsided by his charm? Are we on the enemy’s side? In both cases, we need to turn back to God, surrender to him.

But if we’re facing opposition of one sort or another; if we’re seeing the enemy’s tactics deployed against us - threat of harm, project fear, temptations to sin - then take heart! You are on God’s team, the winning team, and God will help, and God will bring about his plans and purposes. Pray for his strength, and stick at it.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 2nd December 2018.

Sermon: Nehemiah 5: 1-19 Good news for the poor

On Sunday evenings, we’re listening in to Nehemiah’s memoirs, as he rebuilds the city of Jerusalem in the 400s BC. Nehemiah had been born in exile, in Persia, but he had heard of the state of the city from others who had returned to their homeland. And so, under God’s call and the king’s command, Nehemiah is in Jerusalem, rebuilding the city. But, as we’ve seen in recent weeks, there were problems and difficulties galore.

Last week, we saw him deal with the opposition from outside - the ridicule, the threats, and the attacks from his neighbours. Perhaps by the end of chapter 4, he thought that with those threats sorted, things would be easier. Tonight, though, we come up against an even bigger problem within the walls, within the people of Israel.

It’s a problem that we all may face at one time or another, but it threatened the entire building project. It was the problem of money - or rather, the lack of it. Money might make the world go round; and money, money, money might be funny in a rich man’s world (Abba); but it’s not much fun when you’re without. In fact, it’s life or death, as we see in the outcry that comes to Nehemiah’s ears from verse 1 onwards.

In these opening verses we have three distinct groups, each with their own particular problems, but the uniting theme is the lack of money. Verse 2 is the outcry of the first group. ‘We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.’

They were facing a shortage of food. They didn’t have any grain, and in those days, no grain meant no food, meant no life. Hunger is their daily reality, and they’ve no means of getting grain.

The second outcry comes in verse 3: ‘We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.’

So they have fields, vineyards, and homes, but with famine conditions, they are having to mortgage their property in order to get food to eat. Now, I know that the board game Monopoly isn’t everyone’s favourite, and it can lead to more rows than enough, but it’s probably in Monopoly that you first get to grips with the idea of mortgaging property - when you turn over the card to get some money, but then you can’t profit from the rent if anyone lands on it. It’s yours, but in a sense, it’s not really yours, the bank has a say as well.

And so, these people were in desperation, mortgaging in order to survive. Except, it wouldn’t have been the Ulster Bank or the Danske Bank they were dealing with - it would have been someone with money in the city.

The third group also cry out to Nehemiah about their situation. Do you see what they say in verse 4: ‘We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards...we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.’

They have property, but they’re not benefiting from it. So, when they need more money, they’ve had to put their daughters into slavery. Working for someone else, with no way out.

It’s the outcry of the poor; those who are needy; yet they are suffering at the hands of their own people. So what will Nehemiah do?

Well, we see his reaction in verse 6. ‘When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials.’

To hear of the situations that people find themselves in - that makes Nehemiah very angry. Why? Because what was happening was against God’s law. These people were suffering, because other people were profiting from their loss. We see that as Nehemiah confronts the nobles and officials: ‘You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!’

Now, that word usury - we may not really hear it much these days, but it basically means the charging of interest on a loan. And while we’re familiar with the rate of interest on loans and mortgages, back in the Old Testament law, usury on loans to fellow Israelites was forbidden.

So, Exodus 22:25 ‘If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a money-lender; charge him no interest.’ Or Leviticus 25: 36-37, speaking about your countrymen who becomes poor, ‘Do not take interest of any kind from him... You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit...’

So you see, this practice of usury, or profiting from people in need is outlawed. that was what was happening. It’s the reason why the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has been speaking out against payday loans - Wonga and so on.

So Nehemiah confronts the nobles and officials. Look at verse 9: ‘What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?’ In the face of something so obviously wrong, he calls for it to stop. And more than that, he calls for restitution - for things to be put right.

‘Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them - the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.’ (11).

The interest rate was low - 1% - and yet even at that, it was wrong. So how much more the payday lenders, where some interest rates can be 40% and some even as high as 99% or more!

The nobles and officials promise to give back the property, and also to not demand anything more from them. But even then, Nehemiah wants to make sure that they’ll really do it. So he gets the priests to administer oaths for them to obey; and he dramatically acts out the consequences.

Now, maybe I should have worn my robes for this tonight, but you’ll get the idea. He shakes out his robe, so that anything caught up in it would be flung out. And he says: ‘In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!’

Notice that it’s the man’s own house he would be shaken out of - initially I had thought it said shaken out of God’s house, but it’s the man’s own house and possessions. These men who have sought profit at the misfortune of others - their consequences would be to suffer the same fate, being emptied and shaken out.

Notice also, that this isn’t a private thing. The whole assembly is there, witnessing what’s happening; rejoicing at the restoration of justice, the good news for the poor. It’s a forerunner of the good news for the poor prophesied by Isaiah and proclaimed by the Lord Jesus. You see, God cares for the poor and needy - and so must we. It’s been good to help Craigavon foodbank in recent weeks, but could we be doing more? Are there other ways in which we can help those in need in our community? Do we hear the outcry of the poor? Do we care?

Nehemiah shows that he goes even further, so that he personally doesn’t add to the exploitation or suffering of others. From verse 14 on, he notes that the earlier governors placed a heavy burden on the people, taking forty shekels of silver as well as the food and wine allowance; their assistants lording it over the people.

But Nehemiah didn’t do that. For the twelve years he was governor, he didn’t eat the food allotted to the governor. He worked away at the wall, and didn’t go about acquiring land. All this he did, verse 15 ‘out of reverence for God.’

Instead, he paid for his own food bill, feeding 150 people at his table (it must have been a big table!). now, if you haven’t had your tea yet, you might get a bit hungry in verse 18. Every day there was one ox, six choice sheep, some poultry, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine. That was his daily and ten-dayly shopping list at Tesco. But he paid it himself ‘because the demands were heavy on these people.’

Nehemiah isn’t out for himself, and what he can get. Instead, he models the servant leadership of the Lord Jesus, who from the riches of heaven became poor for our sake, so that we might be come rich. He came to serve, not to be served.

The statistics about personal debt and foodbank use are scary; the need is all around us, and even within our church family. Are there ways we can speak up for the poor and oppressed? That we can act for justice. That we can live out God’s good news for the poor, the release of captives. May we know God’s Spirit leading us and empowering us to live out this good news. Amen.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 28th October 2018.

Sermon: Nehemiah 3: 1-32 Building Begins

So what did you make of tonight’s Bible reading? Did your heart sink as you heard and saw the list of unpronounceable names making up the entirety of Nehemiah 3? Perhaps you listened carefully to see how many would make the reader stumble (giving thanks that you weren’t doing the reading!). Or maybe you thought to yourself, I missed Countryfile and I came to church tonight, for this? So what do you make of tonight’s Bible reading?

At first glance, I too, I must confess, wondered what to do with it. A list of names, of people we don’t know and haven’t heard of. Should we just skip it and move on to the good stuff? And then I remembered the verse from 2 Timothy 3:16, which says that ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’

So God has told us that this chapter - even this chapter! - is God-breathed and is useful. And so, the question isn’t what am I going to do with this chapter, as much as it’s this: what is God going to do with us through this chapter. What is God saying to us in these words?

If tonight is your first night with us, then you might wonder where we are and what’s going on. This book is the memoir of Nehemiah, the cupbearer to the king of the Persian empire. Nehemiah was still in exile when he heard a report about the city of Jerusalem - its walls still broken down and its gates burned with fire. So Nehemiah mourned, and prayed, and planned. The king has sent him to the city to rebuild its walls, and at the end of last week he had arrived and surveyed the city, making his plans.

Chapter 3, then, is the official record of the building work. And while we might see it as just a list of names, it’s important to remember that these are people just like you and me - people involved in working for the Lord in building up his city. I was reminded of a fundraiser that my home parish organised when they were building one of the two church halls. Everyone could pay £1 and sign their name on a big white tablecloth. Then all those signatures were stitched or embroidered into the tablecloth, and it was put on display. If I went to see the tablecloth, I’d know quite a few of the names and the people, but you’d maybe only know my name (if you could read my writing!). And in a hundred years’ time, even people in Dromore might not know many of the names, let alone in two and a half thousand years’ time. But that tablecloth is a record of the people who contributed in some way to the building of either the Clayton Hall or the Cathedral Hall.

Nehemiah chapter 3 works in the same way. Here are people who were committed to the Lord’s work, who made their contribution, not just in financial terms, but in physical terms.

Finally (in the introductory remarks!), this chapter has a lot to teach us for the task that we are facing. We may not be building with stones and mortar, but we are called to building work - as we build the kingdom, each one being careful how we build - as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3. So how do we get on with our task of building up the church? Nehemiah will show us how he did it, and how we might get some insight into how we do it too.

So let’s dive into the chapter, in an entirely appropriate way - you see, this chapter is a list, and so the sermon structure tonight will be a list - of things that strike us as we read it.

Firstly, the leaders took the lead. It’s the high priest and his fellow priests who went to work and built the Sheep Gate and part of the wall. They took the lead, and set the example. This came out in a book on the Battle of Waterloo, which quoted one soldier’s testimony. It said that some officers were of the ‘Go on’ type; but the soldiers appreciated and respected the officers who were of the ‘Come on’ type.

The priests were the ‘come on’ type. They got going, and encouraged everyone else to join in. And it’s highly significant where they started. The Sheep Gate. That’s at the north-east corner of the city, at the temple, where the sheep for the sacrifices were brought into the city. ‘They dedicated it’. That’s maybe like our laying of the first stone ceremony. It’s certainly the start of the building up of Jerusalem. We need leaders who take the lead.

Secondly, the builders each do their bit. It’s not that the priests built the whole wall right around the city. But when they did their bit, then everyone else did their bit too. All in all, there are 41 sections of wall that are described here. Each person or team do their bit, and between them, the whole wall was built up.

Everyone seems to have known what they were doing, and where they were responsible for. One of the words that jump out at you is the word ‘next’. The next section, or next to him. Each person did their own bit, as everyone else did their bit too too.

Another repeated phrase is where people built the section outside their house - Jedaiah (10), Benjamin and Hasshub (23), priests (28) etc. Perhaps there was good reason to build those bits well, because they’d be looking at them, and those bits would be defending their houses! But it also meant that they didn’t have far to go to do their work.

How good are we at working together as a team? Each playing their part, sharing the workload? Or are we prone to just try to do everything ourselves?

Thirdly, we see some people went the extra mile. There are a few people who, when they had finished their section of wall, then went and built another section. Notable among them are Meremoth (4, 21) and the men of Tekoa (27). They could easily have said, we’ve done our bit, it’s someone else’s job to do that bit. But they got stuck in to work on a second section.

Are there other ways that you could get involved? Something more that you could be doing as we build the kingdom here?

Fourthly, some people refused to help. We’ve mentioned the noble men of Tekoa, who worked to complete not one, but two sections of the wall (5, 27). But that was no thanks to their nobles. These high ranking nobles thought that the work was beneath them, and so refused to get involved. As Nehemiah writes, ‘their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.’ (5).

There’s a challenge here for us - do we think of ourselves too highly, or of some kingdom work as too lowly for us? Let’s remember that we serve the Lord of heaven, who humbled himself and made himself nothing, taking the form of a slave for our sake.

Fifthly, a variety of people were involved in the work. We see the variety in a number of ways. It’s striking that verse 12 mentions that Shallum repaired his section with the help of his daughters. It must have been unusual for girls or women to have been involved, but they too played their part.

Variety is also seen in the range of professions involved. We’ve already mentioned the priests, but there are also goldsmiths (8) and perfume-makers (8); temple servants (26), and merchants (32). Not quite the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker, but not far off! In other words, it wasn’t just the professional builders who got in involved. Everyone, whatever their background, helped in the work.

And everyone, wherever their home, helped in the work. Many of the builders were residents of the city of Jerusalem - certainly those who built in front of their houses. But there are plenty of other placenames as well - Tekoa (5), Gibeon and Mizpah (7), Zanoah (13), Beth Hakkerem (14), Beth Zur (16), and Keilah (17). Wherever they lived, they cared about Jerusalem, the city of God, and worked for its welfare.

And for us, too, no matter our background - our family, our place, our past - we can be used by God in his building work. Even if we were strangers of the covenants and promises, Gentiles by birth, we are brought in by faith (see Eph 2:11-22). Even if we have committed wickedness, those sins that keep us outside the kingdom - sexual immorality, idolatry, theft, greed, drunkenness, slander and swindling - we have been washed and sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor 6:9-11).

Conclusion

So now that we’ve surveyed the chapter, what do you make of it? There’s more to see here than first met the eye. The list of ancient builders speaks to us of how to engage in God’s building work - as the leaders take the lead; and everyone does their bit; and even goes the extra mile; not thinking the work beneath them; and getting involved whatever their gender or age or background.

As Paul challenges the Corinthians, so he challenges us as well: ‘Each one should be careful how he builds.’ Are you building on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ? And what are you building with - things that will be burned up - the wood, hay and straw, or things that will survive - gold, silver and costly stones.

May each of us be careful how we build.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 30th September 2018.

Sermon: Nehemiah 2: 1-20 Send Me

If you ever watch any of those American crime or drama series on TV or boxset, you normally get a little review clip, with the words ‘Previously on (show name)...’ It helps to remind you of what has already happened, or to catch you up on what you might have missed. Well, it seems like we need to do a Previously in Nehemiah... as we begin tonight!

Nehemiah is a Jew, who has grown up in exile, in the city of Susa, where the king of the Persian empire lives. Last time we heard how he got a report about the state of Jerusalem - its people in great trouble and disgrace, and the walls of the city broken down and its gates burned. That bad news leads Nehemiah to pray - a prayer of repentance, and a prayer asking God to restore his people from the farthest horizons. And every day, for four months, he has been praying this prayer, asking that God would give him success in the sight of this man - the king of the empire.

Every day, Nehemiah was watching for the opportunity God would give him. And in this next bit of his memoir, he tells of the day that he had been waiting for: the day when he would have success in the king’s sight.

The day started the same as any other. Nehemiah had prayed, and then gone to work. He worked as cupbearer to the king, so he was in close contact with the king. He was there to serve Artaxerxes, and do what he wanted - which was to bring him wine!

But when he brought the wine, the day was different from every other day. The king noticed something different about his cupbearer. It wasn’t that he had a new haircut, or anything like that. No, it was his facial expression. Normally, the cupbearer was expected to be pleasant, helpful, maybe even jovial. But Nehemiah’s face was in a frown.

‘Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.’ The king could tell he wasn’t ill. but he knew there was something wrong. Some sadness of heart, as he puts it.

Nehemiah is immediately afraid - very much afraid. It may well be that he wasn’t meant to be sad in the presence of the king - and that he would lose his job or his head. Or it may have been that he was afraid because he was stepping out into the unknown, speaking out about the subject of his long-prayed prayers. Even with the fear, he replies in verse 3:

‘May the king live for ever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’

He pours out his heart, and shares the reason for his sadness. Do you see how the king answers? He asks: ‘What is it you want?’ (4) The king is going to help, if Nehemiah tells him.

So what did Nehemiah do? Well, he says that ‘I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king.’ In the moment, Nehemiah didn’t have time to go off and find a place to pray. He prayed a quick, Lord help me, type prayer - an arrow prayer, and answered the king.

Years ago, when I was just starting out doing wee talks at our Youth Fellowship, I remember doing one on all the different sorts of prayer. And I used this verse as an example of arrow prayers. Any time, wee quick prayers. What did I forget, or maybe not even realise? Nehemiah had been praying day and night about this for four months! The arrow prayer came out of his consistent and persistent prayer.

The other thing we find in the realm of prayer is that Nehemiah didn’t just pray and leave it at that. Alongside his praying, he was also preparing. When the opportunity came, he knew what he needed to ask for. So he makes his request in verse 5: ‘If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favour in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.’

Do you see how he asks - if it pleases the king, if you’re happy with this... And so we find that it did please the king. And Nehemiah asks for a few more bits - his plans come together: for protection and safe-conduct the whole way; and for supplies of timber to build. It all pleased the king, he granted his requests. But Nehemiah again sees beyond the throne, to the higher throne, to the one who was answering his prayers. Look at verse 8, towards the end of it: ‘And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.’

Nehemiah recognises that the king said yes because God said yes. And God said yes, not because Nehemiah deserved it, but simply because God was gracious to him. Nehemiah could see the grace of God in the actions of the king of Persia.

And so the sending is done, and Nehemiah becomes the sent one. But not everyone is excited to se him arrive in Jerusalem. In verse 10 we meet Sanballat and Tobiah, men we’ll meet again. They were very much disturbed that Nehemiah has come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

When Nehemiah arrives, he spends a few days recovering from the journey, and then he begins a secret mission. He goes out at night, just a few men with him, just his own horse, with as little noise and fuss as he can manage. He hasn’t raised any hopes, he’s getting a realistic picture of the situation, making his plans as carefully as he can. Do you see in verse 12 how he describes his mission? ‘I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem.’

God has put it in his heart to rebuild the city. That’s the burden he has in his work for God’s kingdom. That may not be yours - but what is your burden? What is it that God has put in your heart? What is he calling you to do? Youth or children’s work? A morning Bible study for older people? A ministry to a particular group of people? Becoming adoptive parents or foster parents? Helping with a foodbank? What is it that God has put in your heart? It’s the thing you keep coming back to; the thing you can’t get away from; the thing that you keep debating with yourself if you would be able to do it.

Nehemiah has the re-building of the city of Jerusalem, God’s city, on his heart. And he’s carefully planning the way ahead - the work that needs to be done. So he goes out on his horse, with his helpers, surveying the situation. Examining the walls and the gates. Formulating his plan.

In verse 17 the sent one goes public. He gathers the people and reveals why he is in Jerusalem. He outlines the problem, and gives them the solution.

‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace. I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me.’

God’s sent one describes the disgrace, and then calls the people to rebuild, by God’s grace. That’s the pattern that we see throughout the Bible - in prophets, in apostles, and supremely in the Lord Jesus. He entered the mess and the muck in order to build God’s kingdom. And that’s what he calls us to do as well (as we saw this morning in the call to share God’s gospel with courage, conviction and compassion).

And, by God’s grace, the people respond to the call. They reply: ‘Let us start rebuilding.’ They are keen to join the work, to rebuild the city, and remove the disgrace they’ve been living in for a long time. And so, Nehemiah tells us, they began this good work. It’s an encouraging start to Nehemiah’s mission. He was sent, and has now begun his work of rebuilding.

But not everyone is so happy with the news. In verse 19 we meet Sanballat and Tobiah again. They’ve even got another ally., Geshem the Arab. They begin to oppose the work in a small kind of way. They started to mock and ridicule. Have you ever noticed that that’s often how opposition starts to rear its head? Maybe you’ve become a Christian, or you’ve started a new work for the Lord. And the gentle mocking and ridicule begins. Ah, you’re in the God Squad now! Or whatever might be said - the aim is the same, to give you pause for thought, to stop you from getting going, to out you off the good work you’re doing.

Here, the mocking comes in the form of questions - What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king? Huh! Does Artaxerxes know about this? what would he think if we let him know?

Do you see how Nehemiah answers? He doesn’t care so much about what the king thinks. His focus is further and higher - ‘The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.’

Nehemiah’s favourite way of talking about God is ‘the God of heaven.’ And he’s confident that the God of heaven will give them success. That’s who he’s looking to; that’s who he’s concerned with - pleasing God, not people.

Nehemiah’s prayers have been answered. His longing to be sent has resulted in his being sent. The thing that God has laid on his heart is coming to pass. There’s great encouragement here for us to keep on praying about the things that God has laid on our hearts. Keep looking for the ways God will give you opportunities to take a step forward. Plan as you pray. And then when the open door comes, step through, and follow his call.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 23rd September 2018.

Sermon: Nehemiah 1: 1-11 Returning to God

I wonder do any of you keep a diary? Most of us may well have a diary to write down things that are coming up - keeping track of appointments and meetings and parties. But do any of us keep a diary, looking backwards? Perhaps you do. You take some time each day to write down what has happened, so that in the future you’ll be able to look back to the events of today. Or maybe you journal, keeping a book to write and think and pray in, perhaps to collect the Bible verses that have spoken to you each day.

The book that stands before us tonight is a bit like a diary, a bit like a journal, and a lot like a memoir. When I was growing up, I remember reading The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 133/4. But these days, it’s autobiography that is very popular. Rather than reading a biography, we want the autobiography - the person’s story in their own words. I heard recently on the radio that the motorbike racer Jonathan Rea is publishing his autobiography - at the age of 31. In the world of politics, the memoir is the big deal - where the person involved can tell their story. The title of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election campaign is very simple, but is what everyone wanted to know: ‘What Happened.’

The book of Nehemiah is his memoir, his telling of ‘What Happened.’ And as he begins his book, we come across some strange words and strange places. It’s the month of Kislev when the story starts - around November/December for us. And Nehemiah is in the citadel of Susa. Where’s that? And what’s he doing there?

Susa is in modern-day Iran, but in Nehemiah’s day, it was one of the cities of the Persian empire. So what is a Jew doing in Susa, in Persia? Nehemiah is far from home, in exile.

After Moses had brought the people of Israel out of Egypt, and they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, Joshua led them into the land. The judges ruled, then the kings - Saul, David, Solomon and so on. The kingdom of Israel split into two - the northern kingdom of Israel (centred on Samaria) and the southern kingdom of Judah (centred on Jerusalem). Israel fell first, to the Assyrians, and then Judah was conquered by the Babylonians. But later, the Babylonians were conquered by the Medes and the Persians. And so Nehemiah finds himself in Susa.

And the beginning of the story concerns an important day in Nehemiah’s life. It was a day he wouldn’t forget, indeed, he couldn’t forget it. His brother and some other men had arrived into Susa from Judah. And Nehemiah, who had never been to Jerusalem, wanted to know all about it, and the people who had returned there after the exile.

The answer to Nehemiah’s question brings a devastating report. We see it in verse 3: ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.’

The city isn’t in great shape - the gates burned with fire, and the wall broken down. Think of the city wall that runs around Londonderry. Built for security and protection, the wall would be useless if its been broken down. But it’s not just the city that’s bad. It’s also the people. They’re in great trouble and disgrace. They’re back in the promised land, but it doesn’t sound promising for them.

So how does Nehemiah respond to this devastating report? We see his initial response in verse 4. ‘When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.’

Such is his concern for Jerusalem and its people, all he can do is weep. He cares for them. He loves them. And he is devastated to hear of their fallen condition - their great trouble and disgrace. In Nehemiah, we see a hint of another one who would weep for the people of Jerusalem - the very people who would soon cry out ‘Crucify!’ The Lord Jesus is full of compassion. But he didn’t just sit in heaven, thinking how terrible our situation was. He moved in action. And that’s what we’ll see Nehemiah do as his story unfolds.

In the meantime, though, the news was so devastating that Nehemiah tells us he mourned and fasted and prayed ‘for some days.’ He continued to think and pray about this one issue. He was focused on it. Perhaps you know someone who is persistent and consistent about the same issue every time you see them? For most of us, the news cycle moves on so quickly that we move on from the victims of this hurricane to whatever happens on Tuesday, or Thursday. But Nehemiah’s focus is on the people and the city. It’s all that occupies his thoughts and prayers.

And it leads him to formulate his settled response - this prayer that takes up the rest of the chapter. The prayer arises out of the devastating news, and Nehemiah wants to do something about it - but much more than that, he wants God to do something about it.

In verse 5, he is focused on who he is praying to. Who is God? ‘O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands...’

He’s speaking to the LORD - the capital letters LORD, the promise-making, promise-keeping God. The LORD is the God of heaven, who sits enthroned as sovereign over all. And he is great and awesome. And we get the reminder which LORD points to - he keeps his covenant of love...

It’s a good reminder, as we begin to pray, to think of who it is we are praying to. His name, his character, his power. Nehemiah knows his God, and is confident of his God.

In verse 6, he makes a request to the Lord. ‘Let your ears be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before day and night for your servants, the people of Israel.’ He’s asking God to hear his prayer - which he prays day and night. He’s persistent, just like the persistent widow in Jesus’ parable. He wants God to hear and answer his prayer.

And what is it he is praying? Before he asks for anything, he first of all confesses the sins of the people. We see the details in verse 7 - acting very wickedly towards God; not obeying God’s commands, decrees and laws. He’s confessing on behalf of the nation - but notice that he doesn’t just say, yeah, they’re all bad. He includes himself in the confession. He puts his own hands up and acknowledges his own sin, and that of his father’s house.

But, as John tells us - as we saw this morning, when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Nehemiah confesses on behalf of his people, confessing the sins that have led them to be disgraced.

From confessing his sin, Nehemiah then moves on to reminding God of his promises. That’s in verse 8. He reminds God of what God had previously said through Moses - that unfaithfulness would lead to scattering and exile; but a return to God would bring a return to the promised land. And that promise was even for people at the farthest horizon - the place where Nehemiah probably felt he was. Far away. Distant.

Have you ever prayed God’s word back to him? God, you say in your word ... so please do it! But to be able to do that, we need to know what God’s word says. Nehemiah knew the promises, and prayed the promises.

Verse 10 also prays for God to help his people, because he has done it in the past. He’s reminding God that these people are his people - people he has redeemed (probably looking back to the Exodus). They belong to him, so he should act to help them.

In the last verse, he repeats the request for his prayer to be heard, for God’s ear to be attentive - not only to his prayer, but to all the prayers of all his servants who delight in revering his name. Nehemiah knows that he is not the only one praying.

But Nehemiah is the only one praying his last phrase. ‘Give your servant success today by granting him favour in the presence of his man.’ This is his prayer before he steps out of his room in the morning. He wants to be successful - but successful in God’s eyes - receiving favour (grace) in the presence of this man. And who is ‘this man’? Up to now, we don’t know. But the last line of the chapter lets us in on a secret. Nehemiah is cupbearer to the king, someone in close contact with the ruler of the whole Persian empire.

As powerful as the king surely is, Nehemiah goes to the higher authority, to the king of kings, asking for favour and success. His people are disgraced, he asks for grace. His people are far from God, he asks for return. And every day when he’s at work, he’s watching to see how God will answer his prayer.

In this chapter we get a glimpse of Nehemiah’s compassion, and his earnestness in prayer. Are we like that? What is it that you cry over? Do your prayers match your tears? Are you willing to confess your own failings? The glimpse of Nehemiah’s compassion and earnestness is eclipsed and surpassed by the glimpse of Nehemiah’s God - the God of the promises of covenant commitment; the God of compassion; the God of the second and third and thousandth chance; the God who hears our prayers. Do you know him tonight? You’ll get to know him as we take bread and wine, because he is the God who gave himself for us and offers himself to us.

This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 16th September 2018.