I had a great night last night closing out Philippians and looking at Chapter four. Small group discussion was awesome (since I remembered to bring discussion questions - duh...), and I got to spend time with my friends from CCO. But finishing off one book, means we are headed for a new one.
As I read through the survey sheets that the guys were so gracious in completing before we closed out last session, there was really no consensus as to what the guys wanted to study next. That being said, mush prayer and consternation ensued, and the Lord gave me clear direction. We are headed into the Old Testament book of Nehemiah.
Overview:
In the 20th year of
Artaxerxes, king of Persia, (445/444 BC), Nehemiah was cup-bearer to the king.
Learning that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down he asked the king
for permission to return and rebuild them, and Artaxerxes sent him to
Judah as governor of the province with a mission to rebuild the walls.
Once there he defied the opposition of Judah's enemies on all
sides—Samaritans, Ammonites, Arabs and Philistines—and rebuilt the walls
within 52 days, from the Sheep Gate in the North, the Hananel Tower at the North West corner, the Fish Gate in the West, the Furnaces Tower at the Temple Mount's South West corner, the Dung Gate in the South, the East Gate and the gate beneath the Golden Gate in the East.
Nehemiah then took measures to repopulate the city and purify the Jewish community, enforcing the cancellation of debt, assisting Ezra to promulgate the law of Moses, and enforcing the divorce of Jewish men from their non-Jewish wives.
After 12 years as governor, during which he ruled with justice and
righteousness, he returned to the king in Susa. After some time in Susa
he returned to Jerusalem, only to find that the people had fallen back
into their evil ways. Non-Jews were permitted to conduct business inside
Jerusalem on the Sabbath and to keep rooms in the Temple. Greatly
angered, he purified the Temple and the priests and Levites and enforced
the observance of the law of Moses.
Our Look:
Nehemiah woke up one day and said to himself (paraphrasing of course), "What happened to my homeland!" He had heard, then saw, that his homeland was desolate. It was desolate of people, and of God. He wanted to return his homeland to the glory it once was, and to the glory that God had intended it to be.
My goal is to inspire the men of CC Oly to do the same. We cannot deny that our homeland has been decimated by sin and evil. What God helped build, men have allowed to flounder and be returned to the enemy. Gay marriage, legalized on-demand abortion, tax payer money funding abortions and 'the morning after pills" now being dispensed in vending machines on college campuses. The theory of evolution being taught as the staple fact of existence of mankind in our schools, while Jesus cannot be taught and prayer is banned.
Men, we have lots of work to do - and it starts with each one of us. Are we ready for the call to be LEADERS? Are we ready to actually ACT, to put our time, spirit and reputations on the line to become men after God's own heart? Looking at the life of Nehemiah and his efforts to do just that will inspire us all to be like Nehemiah in taking real action to rebuild our homes, communities and nation, to be after the heart of God.
See you all next week.
Recommended Commentaries:
NONE of these books are required reading for the MOB Study of Nehemiah, but they are recommended reading that might help you gain a more in-depth view as we go through the book.
Check with the church book store to determine if they are in stock. If not, I'm certain they can order them for you. If you wish to buy on-line, links have been provided to CBD below.
Also, if you are a user of Logos® brand bible study software, these titles are available through Logos®, and may already be in your library depending on the
