This is the Truth Network. Forever thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119, verse 89. I'm Stu Everson. Welcome to this special Wednesday in the Word Leader podcast, where we prepare and equip our leaders of this special Bible study outreach breakfast.
Every week to teach through the scriptures. Thirteen Dario locations. There's a men's group meeting and several of the Locations host the women on Thursday morning. Stay tuned. Be encouraged as we jump into this week's Wednesday in the Word.
If you can't beat them, you join them. And how about the old saying Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. We have More building. We have a miraculous completion. In Nehemiah chapter 6.
And the enemies are Regathering, regrouping, and they're coming at him in a Nehemiah in a different kind of way. In Doctor Horn, chapter 7, wow, man, they're... They're actually moving in, buddy. This is a, you can't have a. A house without a home, right, sir?
So there's a lot going on as you get into these two big chapters in Nehemiah, right here in the middle of the book.
Well, you know, when you come to the book of Nehemiah, as we've been talking about, this is way more than just. You know, a book in our Bible that's designed for the times in our ministries when we're going to go build something. You know, we're in a new building program. We got to build a sanctuary, we got to do this. And so, hey, let's go to the book of Nehemiah because it's in the Bible to tell us about building.
When actually, the book is doing something very different. The book is helping us understand the covenant faithfulness of God to His promise. and to his people. And so from the beginning, we've noted that this man, Nehemiah, has constantly been. trusting God, obeying God, depending on God, following God.
In no matter how hard the task. or how long the journey. Or how overwhelming what was before him might be. He he trusted the Lord. And we continually saw.
Him shooting these arrow prayers. I think you described him that way, these arrow prayers up to the Lord. showing his dependence on the Lord. We live in a country that prides itself on being independent. We have a declaration of independence.
We celebrate Independence Day. And so into the psyche of our nation and really even into our own psyche is this idea that we need to be independent. Whereas in the scripture, God is constantly calling us to the opposite. We need to be dependent. And prayer is that Declaration of dependence on God.
And so you see that throughout this book. Secondly, Nehemiah is going to do and say very similar things to Ezra. Ezra is going to talk about the hand of God, the good hand of God being on him. And we saw that repeatedly in Nehemiah's own life and in his own testimony that the good hand of God was upon him. And that really becomes the reason for the success, right?
The reason for the success that we've read, this monumental thing that has happened. In the five chapters that we've looked at. Have come about because God was at work through his people and for his people. And Nehemiah was the leader that God used to rally his people. And so as we come to chapter six and seven, we're really sort of coming to a hinge in the book.
And the hinge, one side of the hinge. The side that is sort of wrapping up the first half of the book is the completion of the walls around the city. and how God got the city ready. for what was to come. And then chapter seven focuses attention on the people.
We've been reading about rubble. We've been reading about enemies. We've been reading about opposition to the building of a wall. But when we get into chapter seven. All of a sudden, the focus is going to move away from the wall and the city.
To the people that God intended to dwell in that city, and what really had to happen in their life. Just like there had to be a physical rebuilding of the walls of the city, there had to be a spiritual reestablishing and rebuilding of the people of the covenant. And so that's what's going to happen in chapter seven as we get into that chapter. We're going to see God getting the people ready for a great revival that is coming. Uh when Ezra stands before the people of God and reads the law of God for an entire day.
And so that's an exciting thing that is yet coming. In the book. But so this is a hinge. We're sort of in the middle here, finishing up. The establishing of the city and now moving toward the establishing of the people.
Jim, if you just joined us, maybe you just parachuted into this special podcast. We've been going through Nehemiah. I'm Stu Epperson, a radio host, and I. I'm one of the leaders for this Wednesday in the Word ministry outreach that's at all these darios all across the state. We have a lot of pastors involved and.
We also have created this podcast for pastors who are preparing to preach. Maybe give them some tools. From vacation Bible school to all the way up, we want people to know God's word and be encouraged and have all the tools they need. Dr. Horn has been equipping so many people, including myself, as a seminary professor, a college professor of Bible, all the different levels, an earned doctorate.
He's a pastor and author, and he's been a radio host for a long time as well. Dr. Horn, These chapters building up to six, just it's absolutely amazing. You see the personal revival that started. in Nehemiah early.
You see that in chapter one, you see this miraculous. Answer to prayer and the favor of God all over him. in chapter 2 and he just jumps right in god grants his request This is the work of God, the hand of God. on the man of God. The people rallied to him.
They get, we start to see these subversive attacks by the enemy, that devil, that prowling. Roaring lion trying to devour, you know, through Sam Ballet and Tobiah and Gersham and these others. And then, but you know, because they're coming back to do God's work for God's city, for God's name. That's really what's at stake here. And we'll see that throughout here.
And then, of course, chapter five, they had to get the sin out of the camp. They had to have that family meeting. They had to deal with the sin within. And, you know, sometimes, oftentimes, it's that. Sin inside.
That Dissension within the ranks that will destroy an army as we saw in ancient Rome. It destroyed all of Rome. It came from within, corrupted from within. And that's happened to so many teams. And we spent some time on that.
So I encourage folks to go listen to all these leading up to chapter six and seven. Dr. Horn, chapter six. I mean, we're talking nineteen versus Jam-packed with really the huge success, but there is some. Intense attacks, more attacks, more subversive attacks.
Now they're going to slandering. They're going to discouragement. They're going to try to throw depression and deceit on Nehemiah. And then chapter seven. 73 verses, a lot of names, a lot of genealogy.
So, kind of. Helps our teachers set this up as they look at, and some may want to do, you know, some pastors, I've heard several sermons just on six, and several just on seven. I've heard some do them together. We're doing them together. It just seems to flow that way.
But Dr. Horn.
So, six and seven, structurally, how do we look at breaking this down? I mean, chapter six opens out. I mean, these guys come right out. It's almost like they want to say, hey, Nehemiah, hey, come get to know us a little bit, you know, the enemies, you know, but they've got another plan completely hatched that they're trying to kill them. Yeah.
So, like I said, I love the illustration of a hinge. You know, if you look at your door that goes into the front door of your house. It hangs on hinges and it swings on the hinge. And so chapter six. Is that part of the hinge that screws in or attaches to the first part of the book?
And chapter seven is the other part of the hinge. That attaches to the part of the book that's going to go forward.
So you got this hinge here. And the hinge, let me make a comment here. The hinge.
Sort of the introduction to the hinge is verse 19 of chapter five. We're after having really faced an initial round of Opposition from the outside. And then, as you said a moment ago, Nehemiah has to come and deal with the internal issues that have been going on. He comes in verse 19 and he cries out to the Lord, remember for my good, oh my God, all that I have done for this people.
So there's another little arrow prayer. That goes up out of the heart of this man who's had to do this intense labor. That has been costly. It has resulted in his own personal attack. Uh he's had to live Sacrificially, just because of what's been going on in the house of God itself.
And so he cries out, and you would expect that chapter six. would be this glorious chapter where God would answer that prayer. With a season of peace and joy and celebration. And what you find out is there is celebration. because the wall is completed but there is this ongoing opposition.
And that's really the experience of our life. You know, when you think about. Going through a real season where you've been laboring for the Lord and And it's been joyously hard. There's been deep joy. There's been this ongoing sense of God's presence, and God's been moving things forward for his glory, but it has been a season that has been hard.
And you come to chapter six, one of the things I think that we learn from that in ministry is that this is the way life is. That the scriptures give us a very realistic Impression. Of what life is going to be like in serving God. There's never, ever going to be a season till we get to heaven. Where there isn't some opposition in the midst of all that we have to celebrate.
And so I would break this chapter down. In this way, I would say that in verses one through four. There is this persistent opposition. No matter what goes on, no matter how successful Nehemiah is, the enemy doesn't give up. And then in verses five through nine.
There's really a massive campaign. There is this false accusation. that is made uh against uh nehemiah this is the fifth major issue uh that that comes from this enemy of God. And then in verses 10 through 14, there is this intimidation that comes. through this false prophecy that um that that really comes up against Nehemiah.
And then in verses 15 through 19, there is this incredible statement that the wall is completed. Nehemiah is vindicated and the enemies are shamed. And so that's what I would do with chapter six. I would take those four ideas. And maybe hit those.
Uh ideas first and foremost. Yeah.
And, Doc, I really got excited when I read chapter 16. I want you to get first those few attacks, which is really important because. It really shows us a framework of how the enemy comes at us. You know, sometimes it's It is that That uh friendly you know temchation comes and always comes in beautiful packages and And Sam Ballot sends this. Nice warm invitation.
Hey, come to Ono, you know, which is, I guess, you know, south of Joppa, you know, going toward the coast, still part of Judea. Come to this beautiful retreat area. And let's hang out, you know, like. We want to celebrate with you when, in fact, they want to be a Brutus. They want to be a.
You know, they wanted to kill him, you know, and then they do it then they Then they go and hire this false prophet to to to spread to get them into the temple to so that who as as someone who's not a priest, they want Nehemiah to defile. the temple, they want to besmirch. His good character. And they want uh again to set him up for a trap there. But coming out of all that, there's that beautiful verse that says, and they completed the wall.
in 52 days. And then Doctor Horn, the response. You know, it says that Their enemies were disheartened. You know, it's interesting. In the Bible, It talks a lot about how God's people were encouraged.
David strengthened himself in the Lord. how we are encouraged and we're sharpened and we're edified and built up. But this verse says. When the enemies of God saw their success and they saw that it was God. Who was a part of it?
It says they were discouraged. They were disheartened.
So. It's just the language. I don't want our teachers to miss some of these important details. To show off our great God and what He's done, Dr. Horne, I don't want to divert from you.
You're on a good track here because we're about to jump into chapter seven. But d don't don't you see some important Oh, for sure. Takeaways here with that.
Well, let's go back. Yeah, I gave sort of the four little pegs. Let's go back and look at each of those quickly. If you go back to verses one through four. There is this ongoing opposition.
that comes in the form of These incredible invitations. I mean, there are these four invitations. That comes, so there's this persistence, right? There's this is not like a once and done. And and Basically, in verse two.
Nehemiah perceives that nothing has changed in their spirit. They intend to do him harm. It's actually stated real clear in the text. They intended to do me harm.
So he was perceptive. Good leaders are perceptive. They pursue peace. They work hard. They rally the people of God together, but they're also perceptive.
They are not easily deceived by the enemy. And I think that's something that I take away from my own life in ministry. Lord, I need to be perceptive. I want your. discernment.
As I do your work, because there are constant people who either want to join you or want to oppose you, and as you navigate all of this, you need God's wisdom and you need perception to see what's really going on.
So in verse 1, San Ballad and Tobiah. And Geshem, the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I built the wall and there was no breach left in it. Though I had not set up the doors.
So This is almost complete. The structure of the wall is done. They've got to put the gates in. And so, as this is coming to completion, Sanbalat and the Arab Geshem. sent word to Nehemiah say let's meet together the idea there is let let's talk Let's figure out how to work together.
Let's figure out, and so. Nehemiah spots this, right? There is this subtle distraction. And he spots this. And after the fourth time.
He responds in the same way, right? Here's the first response, and it doesn't change. He said, I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. In other words. The work that I'm doing is actually God assigned.
It may look like a little wall to you, but this wall is the mission that God sent me here to do. And I'm not going to stop and leave the wall. I'm protected to come and talk to you. This work is going to continue. You can invite me four times.
And you know that when I go and meet you in the plane, that's a journey from where I am. The wall is going to stop, and we're not going to stop. We're going to complete the task. That God called us to do. And so here in this section is this subtle distraction.
the the invitation To delay the completion of the work. If we can't stop the work, then let's delay its completion. And so that's the first thing I would say to people as you come to this chapter and Nehemiah has said, God, remember for my good all the things I've done. It doesn't mean that the opposition stops. It actually continues and it is persistent.
And then you notice the second big idea in verses five through nine. Is it gets it gets dirty? I mean, it really gets low. Uh because Sandballot sends An open letter. Uh through a survey.
It is a public letter. that he is caused to be written and read. And it says this in verse six: it is reported among the nations. And Geshon, this Arab, also says it. And here's what everybody knows, that you and the Jews intend to rebel.
And that's why you're building the wall.
Well, that's not at all true. But that's what Sandballot caused to be written and publicized. To the surrounding nations, right? And according to these reports, you wish to become their king. And so you set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, there is a king in Judah.
And now the king will hear these reports. And so come, let us take counsel. together. And so Nehemiah says, I sent to him saying, no such thing as you say has been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind. For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking their hand will drop from the work and it will not be done.
But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
So there's another arrow prayer.
So there is this invitation to come and sort of have a conversation on the plane of Ono. And when that didn't work, there is this open letter. Charging Nehemiah with a great falsehood. That he was doing this so that he could rebel against the king of Persia, Ahashuarias. and or Artaxerxes.
and actually become the king. Uh of Israel. And he sand ballot. And the Arab had gathered a group of prophets around them. We're going to find out who these prophets were a little later.
There's even a prophetess. Who's involved in this plot? And so there is this false accusation. And none of it, none of it. None of these efforts to discredit this godly leader.
Cause Nehemiah To be frightened. That was what they were trying to do. They were trying to terrify Nehemiah and the people. By this great false accusation, because if you rebelled against the king of Persia, you were done. I mean, you just didn't make it out alive.
And so this was Their attempt to frighten the people and saying, Oh, no, we better stop this. We better put our tools down because we do not want the king of Persia to get the wrong idea. But Nehemiah actually said, no, we're going to finish the job that God sent us to do and that he moved on the heart of the king of Persia to allow us to do. And so God strengthened my hands. You know, there are many times as a leader.
in the middle of the work. Where something is going to come up against you that's going to absolutely discourage you or it's going to terrify you. And you're going to need a prayer like this. You're going to need to just say to the Lord, Lord, you need to strengthen my hands. I don't know what to do here.
All I know is that you called me to build this wall. You called me to shepherd these people. You call me to take this course of action in this hard place. And I need you to strengthen my hands. And so that's the second big thing going on in the chapter.
Well, right in the middle of that, Nehemiah prays this in precatory prayer. in verse 14 of chapter 6. And Dr. Horne, you know, it's fascinating. That these attacks, as they intensify, you'll notice what else is happening.
The work of God is moving. The kingdom of God is moving. You know, I heard one poet or scholar say. That Uh the storm never attacks. A a ship that's docked.
You know, that's in the port, you know, right? Right.
So it's, you know, this is when a church is moving, when a church is on their knees, when a church is fighting, the church militant, the church triumphant is working in the fields and reaching the lost and making a difference and making progress. The attacks intensify, and that's a great sign that you are. Making headway in the kingdom is you'll have these attacks, and these attacks intensify. What's how neat is it, Dr. Horn, that in the middle of this, consistent with chapter two, verse four, when Nehemiah stops?
The greatest king, most powerful king on the planet, says, What do you want? And instead of answering and saying, Okay, here's my list, Nehemiah. It says in verse 4 of chapter 2, Nehemiah says, And I prayed to the God in heaven. And here, in the middle of these attacks, this slanderous letter. These all these overtures of deception.
That these folks are trying to pull on him. This false prophet that's incited to bring him, and then later we'll see Tobiah, the letters from him, you know, trying to get even get Nehemiah's own kinfolk against him. Nehemiah prays in verse 14. In verse, at the end of chapter. At the end of chapter five, Nehemiah says, Remember me, Lord.
And it's a beautiful prayer of asking, you know, invoking God in, bringing God into his work and to. What God's done in Nehemiah's life. In the middle of chapter six, Nehemiah says, Remember them.
Now he's praying against them, Dr. Horn.
And he's, but he, what a, what kind of lesson is this to all of us that we need. To turn to God in prayer, He needs to be our first response as opposed to our last resort.
Well, I think you see that really all through the book. And I'm going to come back to. The two big ideas in the book are: the work of God is done through a man of God upon whose life the hand of God is evident.
So that's the first thing. If you and I want to accomplish anything for the Lord, we've got to have his good hand on our life. And so, how does that happen? How do we put ourselves? In a place where God's hand.
Can empower us, God's hand can enable us, God's hand can energize us. Where do we? How do we get there? And the answer is prayer. All through the book, Nehemiah is praying.
You know, his hands are working. His feet are moving. His Courage is standing. You know, excuse me, all of these things are happening. But constantly throughout the book.
You are brought into the private moments in Nehemiah's life all throughout. the the journey that we've been on with him where he's crying out to God. These arrow prayers. These these cries of dependence, Lord. This is beyond me.
This is above me. This is. I cannot do this apart from you. You're the one that's going to have to take care of Sandballot. You're the one that's going to have to take care of Tobias.
You're going to have to answer this letter. You're going to have to figure out how to help me overcome this rubble. You're going to have to give me wisdom to say to King Artaxerxes what's on your mind. I know what's on my mind, but Lord, I want to speak what's on your mind. You're going to have to help me figure out how to help the people build the wall.
There is this constant dependence on God that is articulated regularly throughout the book. How many times Do we go to ministry or to do something for the Lord? And we pray this sort of perfunctory prayer. At the beginning, and then we just go at it and we don't pray again. It's sort of like the coin toss.
At a major sporting event, you know, like maybe at the World Cup or maybe it's the NFL Super Bowl, and there's a coin toss that everybody does. And then after the coin toss, the coin goes away and you don't think about it for the rest of the game.
Well, sometimes that's how prayer is, but for Nehemiah. It was his lifeline. It was what accomplished things. And so you come to verses 10 through 14, and you see the third major peg. And this one is really, really important.
Because now there is somebody on the inside. Who's been hired? By somebody on the outside, right?
So Tobias and Sanbal and that crew have hired a guy named Shimaya. And Shimaya Is inside, and he says to Nehemiah: Let us meet together in the house of God within the temple.
So Sandball, Tobiah, let's go far from Jerusalem. Let's go to the plain of Ono.
Now they've got somebody on the inside, and he's saying, look. We've got to go to the temple. Let's go to the house of God. Let's go to the temple and let's close the doors, for they are coming to kill you. and they will kill you by night.
So let's go to the temple. It'll be safe for you there. And you trust in the temple. And let's hide there. And Nehemiah said in verse 11, Should such a man as I run away?
And what man such as I should go to the temple and live. I will not go in. And I understood that the Lord had not sent him, but that he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanbalat had hired him. And for this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin. And so they could give me a bad name in order to tempt me.
So, what does it mean? That That this man was saying, Let's meet in the house of God within the temple. Let's close the door of the temple, for they're coming to kill you. They were inviting, this man was inviting Nehemiah to do something that only the high priest could do. And that was to go into the holy part of the temple.
A normal Israelite could go to the temple. They could go to the courtyard of the temple. And they could even go to the great altar that was. in the courtyard of the temple and hold on to the the horns of that altar. For safety.
But you could not go into the Holy of Holies. You could not go into that holy place.
Sometimes the king would be invited in to inquire of the Lord, but Nehemiah was not the king. Nehemiah was not the priest. and for him to invade the inner chambers of the temple. out of fear for protection. First of all, would have profaned the temple, would have been a grave, serious sin.
Committed against the Lord out of fear. You remember when Uza. was carrying the ark improperly on a cart. And he got afraid that the ark was going to fall and perhaps be damaged. And he reached out his hand to steady the ark.
Even though it was for a good motive, even though perhaps it was, I don't want to see the arc damage. the Lord still slew him for his disobedience. And here's Nehemiah, and he's been invited to come into the temple to seek sanctuary there against these. Uh, people who are supposedly come to kill him, and he will not sin against the Lord. And secondly, If he had gone in.
to that temple. it would have given credence to the fact that he actually thought he was the king. Because the king at times could go in. And so it would have potentially given credence. That he really was what they were saying.
He really was trying to be the king and rebel. And so he cries out to the Lord in verse 14: remember Tobiah and Sanbalat, O my God, according to these things that they did. And also the prophetess Noadiah. And the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.
So now there is this religion. religious group of people who were inside the walls. who have been hired by Tobias and Sam Ballot. and who are coming really against. Nehemiah.
And so there is more discernment, but more importantly, there is a deep, resolute commitment that he's not going to disobey God, no matter how real the threat. or how big the danger. And that's really important for us. Because oftentimes, in the middle of a great work for God, we encounter these immovable obstacles, or sometimes we find ourselves in the face of real danger. And it's very easy to be tempted to compromise in that moment.
What will happen to us? What will happen to the work? And so here is Nehemiah. explaining again and illustrating again why God's hand was on him. He was obedient to the law of the Lord.
He was dependent on the hand of the Lord. And that's really where we need to be, which brings us to the final part of the chapter, and that is the celebration of the wall being completed. And notice in verse 15, the wall was finished. on the 25th day of the month of Elol in 52 days. And verse 16.
brings up all the nations. That San Ballad and Tobias had tried to poison. All the surrounding nations had been told. Hey, these people are rebelling against the king. These people are going to make trouble for all of us when the king finds out.
They rebuilt the wall, they re-established the city, and this guy named Nehemiah proclaimed himself king. He's gonna send an army. And it's going to come right through us. And we're going to suffer the consequences. There are going to be negative ramifications for us.
And so here, these enemies in verse 16, and these nations that have been opposing all that has been happened. heard of it. And they were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem. And here's why, they perceived something. They perceive that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
In other words, There was no doubt that this was humanly impossible. And so the fact that it was done, the entire pagan world. knew God had done this. And then that changes the tactic. Right, all of a sudden, now that this is done, and the hand of God has so clearly been evident.
Um many Nobles Of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them. This is another internal betrayal. For many in Judah were bound by oath to him. Because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah, the son of Arah, and his son Jehoanahan had taken the daughter of Meshulem, the son of Berechiah, as his wife.
So Tobias. Had Relations with nobles in the city of Jerusalem by marriage. These nobles and we're going to find out later had intermarried with the pagan nations. And Many of them had married people that were related to or under Tobias's control, and so they were beholden to him. That's what's going on here in this sort of cryptic sentence.
And so they come to Nehemiah. And they and they speak of his good deeds in my presence. And then they reported my words to him. In other words, they would come to Nehemiah and tell him all kinds of good things about Tobiah. Look, he's actually not against you, he's actually done a lot of good for us.
And then they would go and tell Tobiah everything Nehemiah was doing.
So they were sort of the leak. They were the internal spies that Nehemiah was depending on. And based on that, The last thing we read in chapter 6. is the x the expose Because here are these nobles in Jerusalem, these noble families who are going, hey, Tobiah is really a good guy. And Tobiah exposes himself.
And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid. And so It's just really an interesting dynamic here that is going on. that that the lord Puts in play. And so from chapter six, I would say this. You know, really, as we've, we've got to.
We've got to stay focused on the work God has called us to do in spite of any distraction. I think that's a main lesson our leaders need to help everyone in our Bible studies understand. Whether the work is your marriage, building your marriage, or raising your family. Or being faithful in the work that God's called you to do as a Sunday school teacher, or maybe you're leading a ministry of some sort in your church, stay focused on that work. No matter what distracts you, stay focused and then discern.
and reject fear-based False spiritual counsel.
Sometimes people are going to come to you and say things. that are going to sound remarkably Spiritual, but you need discernment to actually penetrate and go, actually, that's not spiritual at all. That's intended to distract me from the thing God has called me to do. And then finally, do what Nehemiah did. Pray for strength.
Trust in God and keep working. I can't say that enough. Pray for strength. Trust in God and keep working. And that to me is what's going on in chapter six, which brings us in really into chapter seven.
But let me let you respond a little bit to what I've said. No, I'm tracking with you, and I'll probably come back and listen to this podcast again a couple of times. Dr. Horn, so much good stuff in there.
so much in there about being vigilant, being trusting God. Engaging in the warfare with spiritual weapons. The weapons of our warfare, Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10, are not carnal, but they're spiritual, to the tearing down of strongholds. There weren't just construction strongholds being dealt with here in rebuilding the city and the walls. There were spiritual strongholds.
Some of that had been embedded for a long time. And after a hundred years, of desolation In 52 days, this wall was built. God got all the glory and all the praise. Dr. Horn, break down chapter 7 for us, real quick.
73 versus You have Success in chapter six, you have succession. In chapter seven, you have people coming in.
Now, who's going to live here? And you know, just as you mentioned that Nehemiah could not go in. To that temple area, even though they tried to seduce him into a trap. There's some painstaking details to prove the genealogies of the Levites. Because if you are not of the Aaronic line, of a Levite Of a priesthood, you could not go into the temple.
And so this was very serious. He recognized that. And that's why. There are 73 verses in chapter 7. That's why, at the beginning of Matthew, at the beginning of Luke, in the New Testament, there's all these.
These genealogical passages, Dr. Horton, because God cares about people.
So talk about the people coming in. Talk about seven. How do we break down these 73 verses real quick for in the little time we have left for our leaders? Yeah.
So really take the first five verses of chapter seven and sort of let them function as the closing capstone of what's going on in chapter six, because He says when the wall was built And I had set up the doors and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites had been appointed, I gave my brother Haninai And Hananiah, the governor of the castle, charge over Jerusalem. for he was a more faithful and God fearing man than many. And I said to both of them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes, the city was wide and large. But the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.
So, the work of the city protection had been done. And Nehemiah now is, as you said a moment ago, wrapping things up by appointing. Ongoing leadership or succession, as you said. And that's really our task, isn't it? As leaders, as we complete the task God called us to do.
We have to make sure that the work of God does not end with us, that there is more work to be done, both for us and for those that follow.
So, here are faithful, God-fearing men. That are appointed to lead the city now that the wall has been established, and their task is to protect. and their task is to advance. And that's exactly what happens.
So that that wraps up. What we've been reading in terms and summarizes what we've been reading when it comes to the building of the wall. In chapter 8, We're going to read about the people being gathered as one man before the water gate. And Ezra the scribe will bring the law of God. And just as God commanded.
and read that law to the people.
So between... the establishing of life again in the city. And the spiritual reestablishing of the people in chapter eight. There is this section beginning in verse five. And going all the way to the end.
where you have in essence the numbering Of the nation, right? There are a couple of things that happen here. Ezra 2 has a similar sort of numbering. If you go to the dedication of the temple in Chronicles. There is this similar idea of the people being gathered in categories and bringing gifts.
At the end of the chapter in verses 66. through 73, there is this giving of gifts. and this immense amount of wealth that comes into the treasury. by the governor. And the heads of the houses, right?
They give gold and silver and priestly garments. Uh and so By the time you get to verse 73, the people are living in their towns. Right, so there's a great deal of time that happens between verse four of chapter seven and verse 73. Towns have been established, people are living, houses have been rebuilt, and now the people are coming back to within the wall. To hear the word of the Lord.
And so there's just an immense amount going on here. Let's talk about. A simple way. To talk about the sort of the structure of this registration. In the first part, in verses 60 through 38.
The leaders And the key families of Israel are named, right? They came back with Zerubbabel. They have their family names, their clans, the towns where they live. For example, Bethlehem is mentioned, Anatoth is mentioned, and the number of people associated with them. And so you can see.
Uh roughly almost 40 3,000 people by the time we get to the end are going to be numbered.
So in verses 6 through 38, you have the numbering of the key heads and families of the nation. and where they lived, in Bethlehem, in Anathoth, in Kiriath, Gerium. Uh in Rhema. In Bethel, in Ai.
So the land is being reclaimed here by Nehemiah. The regions that we're reading about were the regions that Tobiah and Sanbalak sort of claimed as their own. And now that the wall has been rebuilt. There is this moving out into the land. We're going to go down to Bethlehem.
We're going to go to AI. We're going to go to Rhema. We're going to go to Kiriath Gerium. Uh, we're going to go to Anathoth, we're going to go up to Bethel, right? Uh, we're we're we're going to go to Jericho, which is in the northern part of the country.
And so this land is being resettled and repopulated and reclaimed by God's people. And this again sort of lets you know what's happening. In verse 46, there are temple servants. the temple is being actually rebuilt. In verse 57, there are singers and wise people, the sons of Solomon.
The idea here is that Solomon had servants that served in the temple. And you can see that in verse 60. All temple servants and sons of Solomon's servants were 392. And so you have the re-establishing of God's people in the land, and then you have the reestablishing of the priests, the Levites. uh the temple servants and solomon's servants uh in the temple complex itself So you can see things are being set up for what's coming in chapter eight.
Now, in verse 61, there is this really interesting little detail, verses 61 through 65. And that is that there are people who came up from these different places who could not prove their father's house nor their descent whether they belonged to Israel. Again, here's more discernment. Just because you came up and said, hey, I want to be part of this. You didn't automatically get in.
You had to prove. Who you were. You had to prove your identity. You know, as believers. Oftentimes we have people that just really want to come.
and be a part of the work of God. And in order to be a part of the work of God, you have to truly be someone who belongs to God. You have to be part of the people of God. And Nehemiah made sure that was true here, just like we ought to make sure in our own churches, when people come that they really are born again, that they really do have a personal identity. with Christ.
Uh and so They could not prove their father's house nor their descent. In verse 64, these sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found there.
So they were excluded from the priesthood. As unclean, and the government governor told them they were not to partake of the most holy food. Until a priest With urine and thumb could arise. In other words, There was a way to determine Whether or not these people were who they said they were, and it was God. God could reveal that.
And the way He did it in the Old Testament was the priest had. uh this device called the you know urim and uh urim and thummum and it would reveal the truth. We have something better today. We have the word of God that reveals the truth. And so by the time you get to the end.
of the chapter you have All the nation that has now been reestablished. and they have brought uh incredible gifts and offerings uh to uh to the temple and everything is in play. And so the walls have been rebuilt. The city has been reestablished. People from all over Israel living in all these cities have appeared to be re-enrolled in the national registry.
People with questionable descent have been dealt with, and a great gift. has come into into into the treasury. And so, as we wrap up all of this, you might say, well, what is the practical takeaway? Because we don't live like this, right? We don't, this seems so foreign to us.
You know, we come to a chapter like chapter seven, and it's 73 verses. of names and cities and And numbers and money and the amount of silver and gold.
So, what is the takeaway? And so, I just wrote down five things. that I think we can say our students and our leaders. Uh can can take away from this. Number one.
value your identity. As a member. Of the community of Christ. Value your identity. God recorded these names.
And he wrote them down.
So that thousands of years later, we would know who these people are. And God has written our name down in the book of life.
So that all of creation will know who we are. We need to value our identity. in Christ. And then secondly, we we ought to prioritize purity. And and really think about that in our In our own ministries, right?
So that we never muddy the identity. There are people here who lost their identity. There are people here, for whatever reasons, could not clearly say what all the rest of the people could say: hey, here's our identity. They had muddied the water by intermarrying. They had sort of muddied the question by how they had lived.
And so they're unverified, and God is going to have to settle that. And make it really clear.
So, we need to value our identity, and we need to prioritize the purity of that identity. And then embrace the role that God has given to us. There are all kinds of different people listed here.
Some of them are nobles, right? They're not at all involved with the priesthood. They're the ones who are going to bring the gifts that are going to support the priests. Then there are priests. And then there are Levites, and then there are temple servants, right?
Then there are Solomon's servants, the royal servants. And so each of us have a role to play. In the work that God is doing, we saw that in the building of the wall. Everybody had a place to work. Nehemiah assigned everybody a place to work.
Well, in the service of the Lord, each of us have a place to place.
Some of us are pastors, some of us are going to be musicians, some of us are going to be servants in the Lord's house, gatekeepers, as it were.
So embrace. The role that God has given you to play, whether you are a lay person or a singer or a servant or a priest. God knows your name and God values your service. And then, thirdly, trust God's sovereign care. Trust God's sovereign care.
If we don't learn anything else from chapters six and seven, the work of God is not accomplished. through the wisdom and strength of men. It is accomplished. through the power of God. later That guy is going to say it is not by power or by might, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.
And that's so evident here. This wall was built. by human hands, but it wasn't their strength that did it, right? These people that are going to serve Ezra in chapter eight are going to do it with human effort, but it's not human effort that's going to make the difference. We have to trust God's sovereign.
power and providence. And then finally, the fifth thing is let's prepare for long-term faithfulness. Let's determine, like Nehemiah did in chapter one, that no matter what comes and no matter how long it takes. And no matter how task, how hard the task, we're going to be faithful. We're going to depend on God.
We're going to lean on Him for discernment. We're going to be wise. We're going to lead in ways that encourage people for long-term faithfulness. And that's what I think of when I think of chapters six and seven.
So that's how I would wrap it up. It's a great wrap-up, Dr. Horne. You know, there's so much in here. A couple quick teaching tips that I picked up from one was from Dr.
Stephen Davey in his sermon series on Nehemiah, which has been very helpful. I include links to his sermons in the leader notes I send to our leaders. And Dr. Horny says, you know, oftentimes you go to the movie When the movie's over. You know, when when it it comes to that climactic end and the lights come up, We grab our empty popcorn bucket and our Coke and we leave and we throw it all away, and we're gone.
But one of the most important parts is happening, the credits are rolling. The credits of the person that composed that. Really important musical. Arrangement. The credits of the actors, the supporting actors, the makeup artists, all their names are mentioned.
Why? Because without them, there's no movie. And without these people, these characters that are mentioned, some think why does the word of God, why do these verses kind of drone on and on with these names and these townships and these lineages and the son of such and the son of such?
Well, because these people are so important to God and their names have been inscripturated. And Dr. Horn.
Just like those movie credits, this is a neat place to give them some credit. And to see, you know, God, of course, gets all the glory. But one pastor said it's not so much About It's about how to God these people count. You know, each one is significant, like you said. Each one plays a role.
Each one, even the, I think about the daughters that helped their dads, you know, in chapter three. I don't know how cool that is.
Some of these noblemen, they're too uppity-up to get their hands dirty, but you have these little girls going out, these, you know, hashtag girl dads. I'm one of them. I got four daughters, you know, that are helping, you know, their dads with this important work.
So that's one thing. The second thing, and this plays off what you said. Warren Wearsby in his commentary. I was just trying to find a commentator that spoke about chapter seven like you're doing that's so helpful that's like makes it a little bit practical. You don't want to miss the import and the intent of the original scripture.
But how do we make this practical? And Dr. Wearsby said, He said, just as it's important. That they went to great Lengths to establish their there Identity, their ethnic identity. There who they are.
In God's kingdom and their credibility to be able to be a part to live in the city. And to work in this city. Dr. Weersby said, Hey. What have you done, or how do you know, or have you established your spiritual genealogy?
Have you been born again? Into the kingdom of God. You must be born again, Jesus said. And you said that in some of your five points, which is just so rich. And it's a very good question to ask someone today: Have you been born again?
Have you experienced a new birth? Because without that new birth certificate, You can live anywhere geographically, but you are not going to heaven. Unless a man is born again, he will not enter the kingdom of God. Jesus says in John 3:3. And that's the whole point of the gospel.
And so we all can be partakers. And we all can be citizens of heaven through Jesus Christ, who is greater than Nehemiah, who came and rebuilt. Came to rebuild our broken lives, who could do for us what Nehemiah could never do for us. He could redeem us. But all of these great figures point.
To Jesus Christ.
So I just wanted to get that out there, Dr. Horn, just to. Just to compliment everything you said and you covered, man, that's that's so good, and I really pray that. That folks will hit these key points as they go through Nehemiah chapter six and chapter seven. Amen.
Amen. Well, brother, it's a blessing always to be with you and thank you. for uh for all that you're doing With these incredible men and women who lead these Bible studies. It's a stunning thing.
Well, it's a blessing. We're grateful for everyone that serves. We're grateful for Dario. Our wonderful host that each week they feed us breakfast and they allow us to. Get in the word.
In a safe, quiet place. We've got 13 Darios, 13 men's groups meet on Wednesday, and then six women's groups. Meet during the week, five on on Thursday, one on Tuesday. And just keep their team in your prayers. They have employees and staff members, team members that need prayer, need encouragement.
And so we want to make sure we are as much a blessing to them as they have been to us. Dr. Horne, if you would pray for Daria, would you, and all their folks, as you close in prayer and lift up our leaders and all our pastors that are. Are listening. I just sent my pastor one of our Daniel podcasts.
He's teaching through Daniel right now.
So I said, Hey, pastor, let me know if this is helpful encouraging to you.
So I'll let you know what he's saying. Yeah, love to hear that. Boy, that's encouraging.
Well, let me pray. Lord, we are so grateful for your word. It is unmovable. Infallible. It is.
Accurate, it is life-giving, and even texts like the ones we've tackled here in this podcast, chapter six and seven, that can be so intimidating and so removed from where we live and how we live. Lord, we're so grateful that your spirit gives insight. I pray that what we've said would accurately reflect your intent. Behind these texts, and that it would be useful to your people. We're so grateful for Dario.
and for how he's made these restaurants available and opened them up to the proclamation and the teaching of your word to hungry people. And I pray that you would bless him and I pray you would bless his staff. I pray that the materials that are sent to the leaders, including these podcasts, would be helpful and would be a blessing. Lord, I pray for Stu and I pray for the Truth Network and the broadcasts which. Your word is cherry.
I ask that you would bless them, enable them, strengthen them, raise them up, continue to grow this ministry. for your glory and for the good of your people. And we'll pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you, Dr.
Horn, and thank you for joining us for this Wednesday in the Word podcast. Learn more at wedintheword.com. Follow us on YouTube. Facebook and all social media, including in Stu Graham. and be encouraged, stay in the word, read it.
Share it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on God's Word. Every word of God is pure. He is a shield to those who put their trust in him. Proverbs 30 verse 5.
