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Now let's dive into today's teaching from Pastor Skip's son Nate Heitzig. These were the people who had the faith to step out when there was no Jerusalem, when there were no walls, when all there was was destruction. These were those who said, I have faith in the promises and the covenant of God, and I'm not going to let what I see deter me from God's promises. I'm going to follow the promise back to Jerusalem. This was a fulfillment of a promise and a prophecy that God had made and they had been waiting on for centuries, but it was also a fulfilled promise not only to his people.
This was a fulfilled promise for all of humanity leading all the way to us. And I want to point this out for you. This book and this list of names has way more to do with you than you might even realize. And what's happening in Nehemiah 7 isn't just historical. It's prophetic fulfillment.
The rebuilding of Jerusalem and the return of the people marked a trigger point in God's prophetic calendar. And this prophetic calendar starts. With the prophet Daniel, decades earlier, while they were still in exile in Babylon, the angel Gabriel came to Daniel and gave him a prophecy concerning the Jewish people. In Daniel 9, 24 to 27, we get this prophecy of the 70 weeks. In Daniel 9, 25, it says, know therefore and understand.
That from the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and 62 weeks. The street shall be built again, and the wall even in troublesome times.
So, Daniel's in exile in Babylon. That's where Nehemiah came from as well. It's where Ezra came from. And the angel Gabriel gives him this incredible promise: Hey, Daniel. The city is going to be rebuilt.
The streets will be repaired, but it's not just about the city, it's about my people. Because I want you to put this calendar in your heart, in your timeline. Remember, I mentioned before that God's promises don't always coincide with our calendar.
Well, in this scenario, God gave Daniel a calendar. He said, Hey, here's a calendar for you because when that happens, when the city is finally rebuilt, it starts a calendar, not just for Israel, but for all of the world, that righteousness might reign throughout all of humanity through Messiah the prince.
So, when the wall gets rebuilt, you better keep your eyes open because that starts a calendar and a timeline for the work that I'm going to do within humanity.
Now that decree was issued by Artaxerxes I in 445 BC. And the very moment that Nehemiah was commissioned to return and rebuild the wall, it started the clock on Daniel's prophecy. The rebuilding of the wall wasn't just good leadership or civic victory. It was God moving history forward to the arrival of Jesus. And Jesus came to save and forgive.
People. Let's not forget that. He came to save and forgive people. People are and have always been what God cares about. That's what he cares about.
That's been the whole mission of God since Adam and Eve messed up in the garden has been about his people and how he can restore his relationship with his people.
So, when Nehemiah opens the genealogical scroll in Nehemiah 7, he's not just doing population control, he's documenting the faithfulness of God and the promises kept to his people. And he's keeping track of the very people through whom the Messiah would come. These people on this list aren't just names of people. They are people from which the Messiah would come to save not just the Israelites, but all of humanity. This group of people, had they not been faithful to go back to Jerusalem and do what God had called them to do, we might not be sitting here right now.
Because of their faithfulness to follow the promise of God, you and I are living in the promises of God right now. And so, this list of names is incredibly important because it starts the timeline that brings us Jesus. And this list of names proves something vital. God's promises are so precise. that he put a countdown on the coming of Christ.
God's promises aren't just vague. They are precise. They are personal. And as we read this roll call, it might seem tedious, but it's loaded with truth. God remembers everyone who trusts his promise.
And I want to let you know something: faithfulness doesn't always look flashy. Faithfulness doesn't always look like Hebrews in the hall of faith, where your name is listed with these other greats and you did these huge, incredible, mighty things for God. And you're like, yeah, that's right. I made it to the hall of faith. Faith often looks like a name on a list that no one reads.
All these people are only listed either here or in Ezra. Most of them we never read of or hear from again, and yet God determined it was important enough that they would be on the pages of scripture. Why? Because they were important to God. Look, you might never go on stage.
You might never trend or go viral. But if you are faithful to where God planted you, he sees. And even if you're not on anyone else's list, if you're on God's list, that's what matters most. When you stand before the Lord on Judgment Day and He opens the Lamb's book of life to see if your name is written in it, that's the list you want to be on. It doesn't matter if you're on any other list or at the top of any other scoreboard.
If your name is on God's list, that's what matters. God sees you and he cares for you. You might feel small, but Christian, know this. Heaven keeps really good records. And you're not anonymous in the kingdom.
Even if your name never trends, it's written in heaven, and you're not a background character in God's story. You've got main character energy in this story. And this book is proof of that. If God kept his promises again and again and again and again. Why would he stop now?
As a matter of fact, I often tell Christians who are having trouble doubting God and trusting in his promises. Look at Israel. You want to see the promise keeping God? Look at what he did to Israel. He made a promise to them thousands and thousands of years ago, and he's still fulfilling that promise.
He fulfilled it then. He's fulfilled it now. And if he kept his promises to them, why wouldn't he keep his promises to you? He remembers. You're known.
You're counted. You're called. And even when you feel unseen, God knows your name, your family, and your journey. And He's not finished writing your story. Isaiah 49, 16 says, Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.
Christian the stars. In the hands of Jesus. Have your name on it. They're engraved on his hands. And he cares about you.
Your obedience is not invisible in the kingdom. Faithfulness has a footprint, and your obedience is a part of God's unfolding redemption. And that leads us to our final point: that is that God moves hearts to respond. Fast forward through those 64 verses of names and go to verse 70. Maybe you say, if they're so important, why aren't you reading all the verses?
We don't have time. Verse 70. And some of the heads of the fathers' houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas, 50 basins, and 530 priestly garments.
Some of the heads of the fathers' houses gave to the treasury of the work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minus. And that which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas, 2,000 silver minus, and 67 priestly garments.
So the priests and Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the Nethanim, and all Israel dwelt in their cities. Nehemiah chapter 7, verse 70 to 73 shows us how the people of God respond to the completion of the work. How do the people of God respond when God keeps his promises? This shows us. The right response that we are supposed to have when we see the promises of God come to fruition in our lives.
The people gave. generously. After all the building, the naming, the counting, something beautiful happens. The people start giving. Why?
Because when you see God's promises come to pass. Your heart opens and you want to be a part of the story. See, that's the beautiful part. We're not just names on a list. We're part of the story.
And when we see God do something incredible in a work anywhere in the world, we see God moving, and we are naturally, as Christians, drawn to be a part of what God is doing. Look at that. Look at that ministry. Look at Samaritan's purse, the work they're doing around the world and the globe. I want to be a part of that.
Look at the freedom celebration and the people getting saved and coming to know Jesus. I want to be a part of that. When we see God doing something, we see his promises being fulfilled, we want to be a part of the story. God's faithfulness fuels our faithfulness. When people see that his promises are real, they pour their lives into his purposes.
Because we're talking about promises, I want to read to you one of the great promises we get in scripture, Malachi 3, verse 10. Again, this is a promise of God, so we know that it is true. He says, bring all the tithes into the storehouse. That there may be food in my house. And try me now in this, says the Lord of hosts.
One of the only times God says to test him. Hey, I'm going to make you a promise. And I am so sure of this promise that I want you to test me in this, see if it's true. If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be enough room to receive it. What a great promise And that great promise can only be mitigated by one thing.
Our lack of face. See, I believe that when God makes us the promise, that promise extends as far as our faith does. Peter took as many steps as his faith would allow him, and then he sank. The children of Israel took as much land as their faith would let them. Abraham bargained for as many lives as his faith would let him.
And his ability is always greater than your capacity. Remember, he's the promise keeper, you're not. Men fail, God doesn't. We'll return to Nate Heitzig's teaching in just a moment. Every day, friends like you help bring clear verse-by-verse Bible teaching to people searching for truth in a world that often feels confused, divided, and uncertain.
And this month, we want to thank you with a powerful resource designed for times like these. When you give, you'll receive City in Shambles, Pastor Skiff's complete 18-message study through Nehemiah on CD plus digital download. In these messages, you'll discover how God works in seasons of spiritual and cultural collapse, how prayer and obedience become the starting point for renewal, and how ordinary believers can respond with faith instead of fear. We'll send this resource as our thanks when you give $50 or more to support ConnectWithSkiff Heitzig. Call 800-922-1888 or visit connectwithskiff.com slash offer.
Now, if you're looking for a way to go deeper in your Bible study, here's a great way to do just that. Hi, I'm Skip Heitzig, pastor of Calvary Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. and the author of the devotional, Soaring Above It All. If you're a believer who longs to see the big picture of God's Word, But maybe you've felt overwhelmed or you've been unable to make all the pieces of God's story fit together. I wrote, soaring above it all.
for you. From Genesis to Revelation, I've highlighted the Bible's big picture. distilling key passages, events, people, themes, and significance. This approachable overview of Scripture will help you stay engaged in God's Word daily. My hope is that as you read through the Bible, this devotional will enable you to better understand God's truth and His heart and plan for your life.
Pre-order your copy now on Amazon or wherever books are sold.
Now let's get back to the teaching of Nate Heitzig.
So when God makes a promise, especially such an incredible promise like that, we should look at that and say, I'm going to trust the one who's faithful. I'm going to trust the promise keeper.
So I challenge you, try it. Put God to the test. Do you have enough faith in God?
Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm not advocating the positive confession message. That would say, give, and God will be bound to give to you. The biblical balance would in essence say we don't give to get. But because God has given to you, and you are so thankful.
For the promises he's kept, you get to give back to him. And what happens is this beautiful cycle, as we give, God blesses what we've given and God uses what we've given. And God in turn blesses us as we give again out of what he has given. God gives, we give. God gives more, we give more.
God continues to open up and give more and more, we give more and more. And it's a beautiful cycle. of how God wants to use us. See, when people really believe God. When they really believe that he keeps his promises.
They live like him. In every area. When they believe the promises of God, their life reflects it. And if their life doesn't reflect it, it means they really don't believe in the promises of God. See, God not only fulfills promises, he also stirs hearts to participate in them.
Not out of guilt. but out of gratitude.
So, the people gave to sustain the temple, to support the priests, to fund the worship. This wasn't a fundraising campaign. It was a gratitude response to fulfilled promises. And this is really the principle of it. This is what you are supposed to do when God keeps his promise.
Worship. always follows wonder. Worship always follows wonder.
Well, this was ultimately what the people were doing and giving back to God, it was their worship. They were so in wonder of what God had done. God. You kept your promise. We're back in Jerusalem.
We're back in Israel. The walls are rebuilt. We're out of exile. Again, I asked you at the beginning: have you ever been in a situation where God did something so incredible that all you can do is say, Wow. God did that.
Don't just sit there and wonder. Let your wonder inspire your worship. Generosity always flows from awe. And some of you have been praying for a breakthrough. And when God brings it, don't just say thank you with your lips, say thank you with your life.
Open your hands. Loosen your grip. Give your time, your resources, your passion, because you've seen what God can do.
So I ask you, are you living like God's promises are sure? Because if you're living like God's promises are true. Then you will find that your life will overflow with external evidence of your internal belief. Not only your generosity, but your service, your sacrifice, your worship will show it. Your life will overflow even as God's promises and blessings overflow.
When God keeps a promise, he often uses people with open hands. And you might be the answer to someone else's prayer. prayer.
Now as we close, I want to remind you that Nehemiah 7 is much more. than just history. I said before, Nehemiah 7 is prophecy fulfilled. And I want to draw this. To the ultimate promise, the greatest promise that's ever been given to humanity.
God is the ultimate promise keeper. Jesus is the ultimate promise kept. Jesus is the fulfillment of every shadow in the Old Testament. He's the word that became flesh, the temple that couldn't be torn down, the cornerstone that the builders exalted or that the builders rejected, but that God exalted. The resurrection of Jesus is like a massive foundation.
And this massive foundation is the narrative of the entire scripture, not just the New Testament. The resurrection, the death of Jesus, the atonement for our sins, is the bedrock of the Bible. It supports everything. It's the cornerstone of our faith. Everything that we are, that we have, that we hope to be, is predicated on its reality.
Now as we close, I want to do so by tying this gospel thread a little bit tighter. Remember we mentioned the Daniel 70 weeks prophecy before? Daniel said that from the rebuilding of Jerusalem, which we have here in Nehemiah, until the coming of Messiah the prince, there would be 69 weeks or 483 prophetic years. Daniel and his people were told that they should know and discern that the issuing of a decree to rebuild Jerusalem was going to start a countdown, a countdown to a promise.
So we have two promises. That are in this book. One, we have the promise that is fulfilled by them coming to Jerusalem, but then we have the future promise that is given to them because of that promise that's fulfilled. A countdown to Messiah the Prince. In the 1800s, there was a Scotland Yard investigator named Sir Robert Anderson.
Sir Robert Anderson was an investigator. He was a detective. Think Sherlock Holmes. Brilliant. He was able to solve crimes and look for clues and look for evidence.
Well, he was also a devoted Christian and author. And in one of his works called The Coming Prince, he decided to investigate the prophecies concerning Christ in relation to Daniel 9 and the fulfillment of Daniel 9, the beginning of it in Nehemiah. See, Anderson understood. That a prophetic year in the Bible was 360 days, not 365. And that might seem convenient, but let me explain to you why.
The Old Testament prophecies followed the Babylonian calendar, which the Babylonian calendar was not 365.25 days. You might think we're in a Julian calendar of 365. It's actually 365.25, which is why we have leap years. But he calculated based on the Babylonian calendar 360 days.
Now 483 years times 360 days. Is 173,880 days. Write that number down in your head or in your notes. 173,880 days.
Now he determined that the decree to rebuild Jerusalem in Nehemiah chapter 2, verse 1, it says, in the month of Nisan, he determined that was given on the first day of Nisan in the 20th year of Artaxerxes. The date for that is March 14th. 445 BC.
So, Sir Robert Anderson did the math. He counted the 173,880 days from the first of Nisan. And you know what he found? 173,880 days from March 14th, 445 BC takes us directly to April 6th. 32 AD.
Now with the help of lunar charts, we can calculate the exact dates of ancient Passovers. And you know that April 6th happens to fall on the Sunday directly before the Passover.
Now, some of you who know scripture are starting to follow along. Oh, I see what's happening. You know what happened on Sunday, April 6th, 32 AD? On Sunday, April 6, 32 AD, Jesus sent his disciples into Jerusalem to bring him a colt. On Sunday, April 6, 32 AD, Jesus rode into Jerusalem and the people declared for the first time that he allowed it, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.
Sunday, April 6, 32 AD is what you and I know as Palm Sunday, the first time Jesus allowed his real identity to be known to humanity. 483 prophetic years, 173,880 days. Nehemiah 7 Might read like the credits at the end of the movie, but this is the credit scene that you've been waiting for. The work of redemption didn't end there. It climaxed at the cross where Jesus paid in full, thus fulfilling Daniel 9.
70 weeks are determined for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring everlasting righteousness. and to anoint the most holy. How precise is God? Hey, Daniel, I'm giving you this promise. Nehemiah starts that clock.
He comes to Jerusalem. He rebuilds the walls. The people return, following the promise of God. And that promise sets them on a course directly to the greatest promise of all mankind, the reality that God cares not just for the names on a list in Nehemiah chapter 7, but he cares for every single one of us. God has a plan.
He has a purpose, and that purpose is redemption and forgiveness. Christian, that's your eternal receipt. That's your Nehemiah 7 moment. Nehemiah 7 is proof that when God says he'll do something, he does it. The wall is up, the people are counted, the giving is flowing, and the promises kept.
So now as we close, I want to ask you what promises Are you standing on? The wonderful truth is that God promises are always overflowing. He not only promises to pardon us from our sins, the Bible declares in Isaiah that He will abundantly pardon us. Not only is he able to do that which we pray for, but he is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think. Not only are we conquerors in Christ, we are more than conquerors.
In him, we not only possess peace, but the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guards our hearts in Christ Jesus. It just overflows. God has made so many promises to you, promises of protection, blessing, provision, as well as persecution. and difficulties. But most importantly, he's promised to complete that which he has begun in you unto the day of Jesus Christ.
He's promised to see you through to the end, he's promised to stand right by your side.
So, Christian. If you're in the middle of a rebuild. And you're doubting. You're questioning. You're wondering if God sees you, if he cares for you.
Don't stagger or waver at the promises of God because God keeps his promises.
So today I encourage you, take a leap of faith. Start trusting God. Start believing His promises. I know life can be discouraging and that can cause us to doubt, but have faith in your Heavenly Father, the Promise Keeper. Uh We're so glad you joined us for Connect with Skip Heitzig today featuring Pastor Skip's son Nate Heitzig.
Before we go, remember, your generosity helps share God's word with people around the world, offering biblical truth and hope in a time when many feel discouraged or overwhelmed. And this month we'd love to thank you for your gift of fifty dollars or more by sending you City in Shambles, Pastor Skiff's complete 18-message study through Nehemiah on C D plus Digital Download. These messages will encourage you to respond to brokenness with prayer, repentance, and courageous faith, and remind you that God still rebuilds what's been torn down. Give today at connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888. See you next time on Connect with Skip Heitzig.
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