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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NEHEMIAH 2:1-16
STEPPING OUT IN FAITH
LESSON #4
MEMORY VERSE: PROVERBS 3:5
CHAPTER 1 OCCURRED IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER (1:1)
CHAPTER 2 OCCURS ABOUT MARCH 14 445 BC 4 MONTHS PASSED IN PRAYER. PRAYER MAKES ONEWAIT UPON GOD. PRAYER AND WAITING UPON GOD MAKES:
THE VISION CLEAR, QUIETS THE HEART, ACTIVATES FAITH.
READ NEH 2:1-11 NEHEMIAH’S ANSWER TO PRAYER
2 A SAD COUNTENANCE
NOTICE THAT THE SADNESS DID NOT IMMEDIATELY GO AWAY. WHY? BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE JOB LOOKSTOO BIG TO ACCOMPLISH. IT SEEMS HOPELESS. HOWEVER, WITH GOD NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!
THE WORD “GRIEVED” IS USED:
NEHEMIAH IS A PICTURE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
EPH 4:30 “GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT…”
THE HOLY SPIRIT FEELS THE THINGS THAT WE FEEL.
SADNESS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE KING WAS AN OFFENSE PUNISHABLE BY DEATH. NO WONDER HE WASAFRAID!
3 HE SPOKE UP KNOWING GOD HAD OPENED THE OPPORTUNITY.
THERE ARE 3 EVIDENCES OF FAITH:
1. ARE YOU WILLING TO PRAY FOR IT? (NEH 1)
2. ARE YOU WILLING TO WAIT ON GOD FOR THE ANSWER? (NEH 2) (ISA 28:16 PSA 46:10)
3. ARE YOU WILLING TO STAND AGAINST OPPOSITION?
(NEH 2)
WHAT WAS GOD’S LONG RANGE PURPOSE IN SENDING NEHEMIAH TO REBUILD THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM?
GOD’S PURPOSE WAS TO PREPARE A CITY FOR THE
COMING MESSIAH. (DAN 9:24-27)
**WHAT PROVISIONS DID NEHEMIAH GET FROM THE KING?
TIME (2:6)
HE WAS GONE FOR 12 YEARS, STAYING UNTIL THE JOB WAS DONE.
THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES THE SAME FOR US. HE PERSEVERES UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE.
PHI 1:6 1TI 6:13
A COMMISSION (2:6)
WE ALL HAVE A COMMISSION – GOD’S PLAN FOR
YOUR LIFE. EPH 2:10
LETTERS OF AUTHORITY (2:7)
WE HAVE AUTHORITY GIVEN US BY JESUS CHRIST TO OVERCOME ANY POWER OR OBSTACLE. WHEREVERSATAN CAN CHALLENGE YOUR AUTHORITY, HE WILL DO IT.
THE JOB OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TO BRING TO MIND YOUR AUTHORITY AND TO HELP YOU USE IT.
MAT 28:18 JOH 16:7 JOH 1:12,13 EPH 6:16-17 1JO 4:4
ADEQUATE MATERIALS: TIMBER (2:8)
THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS ALL THE MATERIALS NECESSARY FOR THE REBUILDING OF YOURPERSONALITY–THE RESTORING OF YOUR SOUL .PSA 23:3
TROOPS OF DEFENSE (2:9)
THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES US STRENGTH.
EPH 3:20 HEB 1:14 (THERE ARE 2/3 OF THE ANGELS WHO DID NOT FALL WITH SATAN. THEY MINISTERTO US.) 2KI 6:13-18
THE HOLY SPIRIT PROVIDES LEADERSHIP, GUIDANCE, MATERIALS IN ORDER TO:
1. BUILD RESISTANCE TO SIN.
2. CULTIVATE A NEW CAPACITY FOR SENSITIVITY TO GOD AND TO OTHERS.
3. CULTIVATE A GREATER CAPACITY FOR UNCONDITIONAL (AGAPE) LOVE.
NEHEMIAH’S ENEMIES:
–SANBALLAT
HE WAS A PROVISIONAL GOVERNOR UNDER PERSIAN AUTHORITY.
HE LIVED IN BETH-HORAN ABOUT 12 MILES FROM JERUSALEM.
**WHO DO YOU THINK THE PERSON OF SANBALLAT REPRESENTS? SATAN
WE HAVE A PERSONAL ENEMY WHO WORKS IN THE SOUL AREA TO DESTROY OUR PERSONALITY.
–TOBIAH, THE AMMONITE
A COMPROMISER WHO WAS ESSENTIALLY A TRAITOR.
THE AMMONITES WERE ALWAYS ENEMIES OF THE JEWS EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE DISTANTLY RELATED.HOWEVER, TOBIAH WAS RELATED BY MARRIAGE TO THE JEWS AND HAD MANY JEWISH FRIENDS. ELIASHIB,THE PRIEST, WAS HIS RELATIVE. (NEH 13:4-7) HE GATHERED INTELLIGENCE REPORTS FOR SANBALLATFROM JEWISH FRIENDS AND RELATIVES INSIDE THE CITY VIA LETTERS.
HE REPRESENTS SATAN’S DEMONS OR MEN WHO DO SATAN’S WILL.
NOTICE NEHEMIAH WAS IN JERUSALEM 3 DAYS BEFORE HE DID ANYTHING — MORE WAITING ON GOD.
1. IF YOU TAKE YOUR EYES OFF GOD WHEN YOU’RE ALONE, YOU’LL BE LONELY AND AFRAID.
2. IF YOU TAKE YOUR EYES OFF GOD WHEN IN PUBLIC, YOU’LL BE PROUD AND DISCOURAGED.
3. IF YOU TAKE YOUR EYES OFF GOD WHEN CRITICIZED, YOU’LL BE READY TO QUIT OR YOU’LLFIGHT IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH.
–GESHEM (GASHMU), THE ARABIAN (NEH 2:19 NEH 6:6)
THE CHRISTIAN ALSO HAS AN ENEMY: SATAN. WE WILL SEE HOW NEHEMIAH HANDLES HIS ENEMIES INORDER TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE CHRISTIAN SHOULD HANDLE HIS ENEMY.
READ NEH 2:12-16 NEHEMIAH’S SECRET SURVEY IT TOOK NEHEMIAH TWO MONTHS TO TRAVELFROM SHUSHAN (SUSA) TO JERUSALEM WITH A MILITARY ESCORT.
**WHY DO YOU THINK NEHEMIAH TOLD NO ONE WHAT HE AND GOD PLANNED TO DO? (2:12,16)
THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS GOD’S PLAN LITTLE BY LITTLE. WE OFTEN GET AHEAD OF GOD BY TELLINGEVERYTHING WE KNOW BEFORE GOD WANTS IT KNOWN.
**WHY DO YOU THINK NEHEMIAH WENT OUT AT NIGHT TO LOOK OVER THE CITY? (2:13-15)
THE RULERS OF DARKNESS DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING GOD IS DOING. NEHEMIAH DID NOT WANT HISENEMIES TO KNOW WHAT HE WAS PLANNING, SO HE WENT AT NIGHT FOR PRIVACY. HE WAS NOT YETREADY FOR A PUBLIC PRONOUNCEMENT OF HIS GOALS.
SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING, HE WAS DEMONSTRATING HIS AUTHORITY OVER SATAN’S POWERS OF DARKNESS.
[IF YOU HAVE ONE LOOK AT AN O. T. MAP OF JERUSALEM]
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LOCATIONS LISTED IN 2:13-15
VALLEY GATE:
THE GATE THAT FACED OUT ON THE GARBAGE DUMP OF THE CITY–A TYPE OF HELL (GAHENNA)
THE PLACE OF ASSURANCE OF VICTORY OVER THE GARBAGE OF THE PAST. ROM 8:1,14
THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION.
THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOOKING BACK AT LIFE.
IN YOUR HOMEWORK SHEET THIS PAST WEEK YOU HAD THE QUESTIONS: WHAT ONE PIECE OF RUBBLE DOYOU WANT TO GET RID OF? WHAT ONE AREA OF YOUR LIFE
DO YOU WANT TO SEE CHANGED? IN WHAT ONE AREA DO YOU WANT FREEDOM?
THERE MAY BE MANY PIECES OF RUBBLE, BUT I WANT YOU TO WORK ON JUST ONE PIECE DURING THISCLASS SO YOU CAN SEE GOD WORK IN YOUR LIFE.
IF YOU HAVEN’T PICKED ONE PIECE OF RUBBLE, DO WHAT NEHEMIAH DID, AND MAKE A SURVEY OF YOURLIFE. PRAY AND ASK GOD ON WHICH ONE YOU SHOULD CONCENTRATE.
DRAGON WELL (JACKAL’S WELL):
THIS WELL WAS SO NAMED BECAUSE A SNAKE WAS ONCE KILLED THERE. IT REPRESENTSDRINKING OF THE WELL OF SALVATION WHERE YOU KNOW SATAN IS DEFEATED. JOH 4:14
THERE’S NO FEAR OF WHAT SATAN CAN DO BECAUSE HE IS ALREADY DEFEATED BY CHRIST ON THECROSS.
DUNG GATE:
THE PLACE OF BURIAL OF THE GARBAGE OF THE PAST COL 2:12
CONFESSION OF SIN:
KNOW THAT ALL YOUR SINS OF THE PAST ARE FORGIVEN BY GOD. THE PAST IS DEAD AND BURIED,FORGOTTEN BY GOD. PSA 103:12
MANY OF OUR PROBLEMS OCCUR BECAUSE WE GO OUT TO THE GARBAGE DUMP AND DIG IT ALL UPAGAIN. THERE SHOULD BE NO FEAR OF FALLING INTO PAST PATTERNS. IF THE PAST IS TRULYBURIED IN THE GARBAGE DUMP AND UNDER THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, WE WILL KNOW WE DO NOT HAVE TOREACT IN THE SAME WAY WE DID BEFORE.
FOUNTAIN GATE:
“FOUNTAIN” MEANS “FLOWING WATER”
DRINKING IN OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THERE IS AN ASSURANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT’S RESOURCES.
THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE YOU KNOW YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE KING’S POOL.
THE KING’S POOL WAS BUILT BY KING HEZEKIAH 300 YRS BEFORE NEHEMIAH. IT PROVIDED A FRESHWATER SUPPLY INSIDE THE CITY GATES FOR THE FIRST TIME. PSA 46 WAS WRITTEN TO COMMEMORATETHE OCCASION. IT’S WHERE JESUS HAD THE BLIND MAN WASH HIS EYES IN ORDER TO BE HEALED. THE INNER WATER SUPPLY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
VS. 14 “NO PLACE TO PASS”
THE RUBBLE WAS PILED SO HIGH THAT YOU COULD NOT GET THROUGH.
THAT’S THE CASE WITH OUR LIVES. WE CAN’T GET TO THE KING’S POOL BECAUSE WE LET THE RUBBLEPILE UP SO HIGH.
HOMEWORK FOR NEHEMIAH 2:17-20
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF NEH 2:1-16
REVIEW YOUR 3 RESPONSES ON THE FIRST HOMEWORK SHEET TO THE QUESTIONS:
WHAT ONE PIECE OF RUBBLE DO YOU WANT TO GET RID OF?
WHAT ONE AREA OF YOUR LIFE DO YOU WANT TO SEE CHANGED?
IN WHAT ONE AREA DO YOU WANT FREEDOM?
THESE ARE AREAS OF YOUR LIFE YOU DECIDED NEEDED WORK WITH THE HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. NOWDECIDE WHICH ONE AREA OF THESE IS THE MOST TROUBLESOME. WRITE IT HERE:
READ PHILIPPIANS 1:6
IN PRAYER AGREE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT YOU COMMIT TO WORK ON THIS AREA OF YOUR LIFE FORAS LONG AS IT TAKES TO CLEAR THE RUBBLE.
IN PRAYER VISUALIZE THE PICTURE OF YOU BURYING THE GARBAGE OF THE PAST IN REGARDS TO THISAREA.
FIND SOME SCRIPTURE VERSES THAT GIVE YOU THE AUTHORITY
THAT YOU NEED TO DEAL WITH THIS AREA IN YOUR LIFE (WRITE VERSES ON CARDS AND PUT THEMWHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM EVERY DAY)
LIST THE THINGS YOU WANT GOD TO PROVIDE IN THE WAY OF MATERIALS THAT WILL HELP YOU CLEARTHE RUBBLE AND BUILD UP THIS AREA OF YOUR LIFE.
(DON’T LIST THINGS YOU YOURSELF CAN PROVIDE)
LIST THE WAYS IN WHICH SATAN IS ALREADY DEFEATED IN THE AREA ON WHICH YOU AREWORKING.PREPARATION FOR NEHEMIAH 2:17-20
READ NEH 2:17-20
FROM THE SCRIPTURE, FIND AS MANY CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD LEADER AS CAN.
MEMORY VERSE: PHILIPPIANS 4:19
