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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NEHEMIAH 6
USING AUTHORITY TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY
LESSON #13
MEMORY VERSE: MAT 16:19
READ NEHEMIAH 6:1-19 DECEITFUL OPPOSITION
THE WALL IS COMPLETE BUT THE GATES, THE AREAS OF AUTHORITY, ARE NOT YET IN PLACE. SATAN’S MOST DECEPTIVE ATTACK COMES WHEN THE FINAL VICTORY IS IN SIGHT.
SATAN’S OPPOSITION:
REVIEW:
A. USES MOCKERY AND RIDICULE NEH 2,4
B. THREATENS UNITY FROM WITHIN AND WITHOUT NEH 4
SATAN BEGAN HIS OPPOSITION AGAINST THE PEOPLE. WHEN THAT DID NOT WORK HE TURNS TOATTACKING THE LEADER, NEHEMIAH. LIKE NEHEMIAH, THE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST HAS A POSITIONOF POWER.
REMEMBER THE GATES REPRESENT OUR FAITH CHOICES BASED ON THE AUTHORITY CHRIST GIVES US.
AUTHORITY MEANS THE RIGHT TO EXERCISE POWER, THE RIGHT TO POSSESS SOMETHING
10 GATES: 10 MEANS THE NUMBER OF HUMAN GOVERNMENT
GOD WANTS US TO GOVERN OUR DAILY AFFAIRS THROUGH THE AUTHORITY GIVEN US BY JESUS CHRISTPRO 16:22 MAT 16:19
BINDING AND LOOSING AUTHORITY
MAT 16:18-19
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VERSE 18 [PARAPHRASE INTERPRETATION]“YOU, PETER, ARE A LITTLE STONE, AND UPON THE BIG ROCK OF PETER’S TESTIMONY OF JESUSCHRIST, I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, AND THE AUTHORITY OF THE GATES OF SATAN’S HELL WILL NOTPREVAIL AGAINST THE CHURCH.”
A PICTURE OF THE CHURCH ATTACKING THE GATES OF HELL
VERSE 19 [PARAPHRASE INTERPRETATION]“AND I, JESUS CHRIST, WILL GIVE YOU, WHO ARE A BELIEVER, THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OFHEAVEN…
KEYS OF THE KINGDOM = THE PRIVILEGE OF CAUSING PEOPLE ENTRANCE INTO GOD’S KINGDOM
“AND WHATSOEVER YOU BIND ON EARTH SHALL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN, AND WHATSOEVER YOU LOOSEON EARTH SHALL BE LOOSED IN HEAVEN.”
DECLARING THE TERMS OF A CONTRACT (LEGAL TERM)
BINDING: BINDING THE WORLDLY SITUATION TO GOD’S HEAVENLY WILL
LOOSING: LOOSING GOD’S COVENANT PROVISION AND GOD’S RULERSHIP IN THE SITUATION WHAT GODWILLS, THE BELIEVER HAS THE AUTHORITY TO CALL FORTH UPON EARTH THUS BINDING SATAN TO GOD’SCOVENANT CONTRACT
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**WHAT NEW TACTICS DO YOU SEE SANBALLAT USE TO STOP THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS?
C. DECEPTIVE COMPROMISE(6:2)
UP TO THIS TIME SANBALLAT AND TOBIAH (SATAN AND HIS DEMONS) OPPOSED EVERYTHING NEHEMIAHAND THE PEOPLE DID. NOW THEY OFFER TO HELP.
THREE TIMES HE’S TEMPTED TO “COUNSEL TOGETHER” 20 MILES AWAY 6:2,7,10
THERE ARE THREE PRIMARY WAYS SATAN TRIES TO PREVENT US FROM MAKING FAITH CHOICES.
THESE ARE THE SAME THREE THINGS HE USED AGAINST ADAM AND EVE IN THE GARDEN AND AGAINSTJESUS IN THE WILDERNESS.
1. DISOBEDIENCE – SATAN TRIES TO GET US TO MAKE CHOICES BY HOW WE FEEL.
2. DOUBT – SATAN TRIES TO GET US TO DOUBT GOD’S POWER AND LOVE TOPERFORM MIRACLES IN OUR LIVES.
3. PRIDE – SATAN TRIES TO GET US TO LIVE ACCORDING TO OUR OWN WILLRATHER THAN GOD’S WILL.
D. DECEPTIVE SLANDER (6:5-9)
SATAN USES PUBLIC GOSSIP, RUMOR, AND ACCUSATION (6:6)
NEHEMIAH WAS ACCUSED OF PLANNING A REBELLION AGAINST THE KING OF PERSIA.
NEHEMIAH WAS ACCUSED OF USING A FALSE PROPHET TO PREDICT THIS REBELLION SO NEHEMIAH COULDBE KING. (7)
E. DECEPTIVE THREATS (10-14)
SHEMAIAH WAS A FALSE PROPHET HIRED TO TRAP NEHEMIAH INTO THINKING HIS LIFE WAS IN DANGER.HE SUGGESTED NEHEMIAH HIDE IN THE TEMPLE. (10)
SATAN ENGAGES IN A CONSPIRACY OF FEAR. HE USES FEAR TO TRY TO GET NEHEMIAH AND US TOVIOLATE GOD’S WORD (6:10) NEHEMIAH WAS NOT A PRIEST AND WOULD HAVE VIOLATED GOD’S WORD IFHE WENT INTO THE TEMPLE WHERE ONLY THE PRIESTS COULD GO.
NOADIAH WAS ANOTHER OF SEVERAL FALSE PROPHETS WHO LED A CONSPIRACY AGAINST NEHEMIAH. (14)
F. DECEPTIVE POLITICAL INTRIGUE (17-19)
SATAN USES POLITICAL PRESSURE. IT IS INTERESTING THAT SATAN USED THE TRIBE OF JUDAH FORHIS EVIL PURPOSES. THE TRIBE OF JUDAH SHOULD HAVE BEEN EAGER TO SEE THE CITY REBUILT ANDPROSPEROUS BECAUSE THE MESSIAH WAS TO COME THROUGH THE TRIBE OF JUDAH.
NOBLES IN THE TRIBE OF JUDAH BELIEVED THE LIES IN THE LETTERS SENT TO THEM BY TOBIAH. THEYSPREAD THE LIES TO OTHERS.
THE TRIBE OF JUDAH COOPERATED WITH TOBIAH BECAUSE THERE WERE TIES OF MARRIAGE BETWEENTOBIAH AND JUDAH.
MESHULLAM WAS FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH WHO WORKED ON THE WALL (3:4,30), BUT HE WAS A SPYFOR TOBIAH AND SANBALLAT.
NATURE OF TEMPTATION
1 JOHN 2:16
| 1JO 2:16 | “LUST OF THE FLESH” | “LUST OF THE EYES” | “PRIDE OF LIFE” |
| GEN 3:6 | “GOOD FOR FOOD” | “PLEASANT TO THE EYES” | “…TO MAKE ONE WISE” |
| LUK 4:12-13 | “COMMAND THIS STONE THAT IT BE MADE BREAD” (4:3) | “…SHOWED UNTO HIM ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD” (4:5) | “…CAST THYSELF DOWN FROM HERE…HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER THEE…”(4:9-10) |
|
BODY |
SOUL |
SPIRIT |
|
| DRAWS US AWAY FROM: | DRAWS US AWAY FROM: | DRAWS US AWAY FROM: | |
| THE WILL OF GOD
GAL 5:16 |
THE WORD OF GOD
GEN 3:6b |
THE WORSHIP OF GOD
1PET 5:5-11 |
|
| DESTROYS OUR DEPENDENCE ON GOD
JOH 15:5 |
DESTROYS OUR CONFIDENCE IN GOD
JOH 15:7 |
DESTROYS OUR OBEDIENCE TO GOD
JOH 15:8-10 |
SUMMARY: HEBREWS 4:15 IN ALL POINTS (BODY, SOUL, SPIRIT) CHRIST WAS TESTED AS WEARE BUT WE HAVE A HIGH PRIEST.
THE FOUR STAGES OF TEMPTATION JAMES 1:13-15
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1. SUGGESTION: “…DRAWN AWAY OF HIS OWN LUST” (14)
2.MEDITATION:”…ENTICED” (14)
3.MENTAL CONSENT:”…WHEN LUST HATH CONCEIVED…” (15)
4.COMMITMENT:”…WHEN IT IS FINISHED…” (15)
THE OPPOSITE OF TEMPTATION
| “LUST OF THE FLESH”………………………. | WALK IN THE SPIRIT
GAL 5:16-26 ROM 8:1-13 |
| “LUST OF THE EYE”…………………………….. | WALK BY FAITH
HEB 11:1 2 COR 5:1-10 |
| “PRIDE OF LIFE”………………………… | THE WALK OF HUMILITY
1 PET 5:1-7 |
NEHEMIAH’S RESPONSE:
HE KEPT HIS EYES ON THE GOAL AND RESPONDED WITH VIGILANCE. HE KEPT WORKING AND DID NOT GETINVOLVED IN POLITICAL COMPROMISE OR ARGUMENTS OF SELF JUSTIFICATION.
WHEN HE WAS FALSELY ACCUSED, HE DENIED THE REPORT BUT DID NOT SPEND TIME ARGUING HISINNOCENCE AND DEFENDING HIMSELF.
APPLICATION AND DISCUSSION:
**WHAT ARE SOME TACTICS SIMILAR TO SANBALLAT’S THAT SATAN USES TO GET US TO STOP BUILDINGTHE WALLS OF OUR PERSONALITY?
LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP. A GOOD LEADER WILL:
[24] PERSEVERE IN THE WORK WITHOUT COMPROMISE OR DISTRACTION (6:3)
[25] USE GODLY WISDOM AND INSIGHT (6:12)
HOMEWORK FOR NEHEMIAH 7
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF NEHEMIAH 6
WHAT NEW INSIGHTS HAVE YOU GAINED AS TO HOW SATAN’S TACTICS ARE CAUSING DEFEAT IN THEAREAS OF YOUR PERSONALITY THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON?
USING THESE NEW INSIGHTS, WRITE DOWN YOUR TACTICS OF WARFARE TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY
PREPARATION FOR NEHEMIAH 7
READ NEHEMIAH 7:1-7
READ NEHEMIAH 7:63-73
WHAT LEADERSHIP PRACTICES DO YOU SEE NEHEMIAH PERFORMING?
MEMORY VERSE: MATTHEW 4:4
